Taking burned trees to the bank
Taking burned trees to the bank
Timber that burned in 2015's fires on 6,000 acres of state endowment land in Idaho will be salvaged to make millions of dollars for the endowment funds that support Idaho’s public schools and other state institutions.
Thirteen of 15 Idaho Department of Lands timber fire salvage sales this fall brought in more than $17.5 million, and two more sales that will be auctioned before spring will bring in even more money.
While nearly 80 percent of the total salvaged timber will come from fires that burned in Idaho County, 15 percent will come from Shoshone County, where 12.2 million board feet across 750 acres will be salvaged from endowment lands that burned in the Avery Complex fire. Another 490,000 board feet across 60 acres in Bonner County will be salvaged from endowment lands that burned in the Cape Horn Fire near Bayview.
Unlike public lands that are managed by the federal government for multiple uses, state endowment trust lands are managed by the state of Idaho under a constitutional mandate to generate maximum long-term income for public schools and other state institutions in Idaho.
Idaho public schools received $31.3 million in 2015 through the endowment land program. The program is positioned to reap new life from burned forests.
After they burn, forests become susceptible to infestations of bugs, disease, and rot. Teams of IDL foresters, specialists and other staff work overtime after a fire to administer fire salvage sales rather than allowing the fire-killed timber to rot and lose its value.
State endowment forests are replanted or seed trees are left in place so the forests can naturally regenerate, ensuring the forests remain productive not just for this generation of Idaho public school children, but for generations far into the future as well.
In general, Idaho manages its forests under a sustained yield harvest model in order to maximize long-term financial returns to public schools and other endowment beneficiaries, which also promotes the health and productivity of the forests.