November 19, 2008
By Betsy Bridge, Energy Efficiency Associate-
Homegrown energy is almost always cheaper than imports when you factor in the social, environmental, and economic benefits. With this in mind, the New Rules Project recently conducted a study that examines how much energy could be generated by tapping into state internal renewable resources.
The report asserts that at least half of the states could satisfy their energy needs from renewable energy generated inside their borders and the vast majority could meet a significant percentage.
This is great news for Idaho, a state rich in renewable energy. Currently, we import over 80% of our electricity from out of state, but if we tapped into the wind, solar, and geothermal potential in our state, Idaho could possibly be a net exporter of energy. The development of renewable energy within Idaho’s borders could provide numerous benefits to our state, including:
• Boosting rural economies
• Creating local jobs
• Cutting back on the cost of transmission
• Reducing our green house gas emissions
Idaho has so much renewable energy potential. We need to begin developing these resources in order to secure a more affordable and independent energy future.
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energy | 
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Posted by courtneywashburn
November 17, 2008
By Susan Drumheller, North Idaho Associate-
“If Mother Nature had a second home, it would be in Idaho,” touts The Idaho Club’s intro to its website.
But second-home sales are slowing down in the Idaho Panhandle, according to a recent article by Associated Press reporter Nick Geranios.
Geranios points to the bankruptcy of Sullivan Homes - The Idaho Club’s exclusive builder - as one example of how the housing slump has hurt home sales in North Idaho. While the economic slowdown isn’t good for folks in the building industry, it does take the pressure off county planning staffers who have been scrambling to lessen the negative impacts of growth.
Land use codes are the way counties and cities can plan for orderly growth while protecting lake and rivers, natural areas and quality of life.
This week, Bonner County Commissioners are expected to OK a new set of land use codes for the first time in 30 years.
Meanwhile, Kootenai County is looking to update its comprehensive plan and has scheduled public hearings on the plan the first week of December.
Just because some builders are disappearing in North Idaho doesn’t lessen the importance of good land use planning. Afterall, whether Wall Street or Main Street is healthy or hurting, people will still gravitate to North Idaho’s spectacular lakes, mountains and countryside.
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N Idaho, air, energy, water | 
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Posted by courtneywashburn
November 17, 2008
By Courtney Washburn, Community Conservation Director-
A new survey ranked Idaho 44th in the nation in governmental integrity, openness and accountability.
The survey was conducted by the Better Government Association which examined the following:
- open records laws
- open meeting laws
- whistle-blower laws
- campaign finance requirements
- conflict-of-interest laws
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Posted by courtneywashburn
November 12, 2008
By Sara Cohn, Community Conservation Associate –
Islands disappearing? Is that possible? Over eons and millennia, islands have been slowly formed by tectonic bursts and are slowly swallowed by the unmerciful ocean.
It is possible that within this century some of those islands will disappear - Islands like Fiji, Tuvalu, and the Maldives. The President of Maldives, sworn in yesterday, is taking action to prepare his people for global warming and plans to raise funds to find a future home the citizens of the Maldives Islands.
Here in Idaho, we have the luxury of knowing our homes will not be swallowed by salt water within the next century. We will see lots of changes in our forests, our wildife, our water supply, and our energy availability due to climate change– but we will not need to leave our homes to an onrushing ocean.
A scary thought. Here is what you can do:
• Recycle
• Talk to your elected officials about providing funding transportation alternatives in Idaho – reduce greenhouse gases in our backyards
• Buy products from responsible companies
• Talk to your friends, help them make decisions that benefit the only home we will ever know – the Earth
No Comments » | air, energy | Permalink
Posted by justinhayes
November 7, 2008
By Brad Smith, Conservation Associate -
What do checkerboards and railroads have in common? Look at a map of the Clearwater National Forest and you will notice the checkerboard pattern of lands in the upper Lochsa River drainage.
The “Lochsa Checkerboard” belongs to Western Pacific Timber. These lands were granted to the Northern Pacific Railroad by President Lincoln for a railroad that was never built. Since 1864, each successive owner clearcut more forests and built more roads on steep, erosive slopes.
As you can imagine this pattern of ownership complicates Forest Service management. In 2003 the Idaho Conservation League commissioned a feasibility study to exchange these lands and consolidate Forest Service ownership in the upper Lochsa.
According to the study, getting the checkerboard into Forest Service management would provide an array of benefits including opportunities to restore fish and wildlife habitat.
The down side? The current proposal would swap out Forest Service lands surrounding the mountain towns of Elk River and Elk City Township.
In the case of Elk City, this would create concentric circles of private-federal-private-federal ownership, further complicating management. Instead the lands should be swapped for federal BLM parcels either inside the township or Forest Service parcels elsewhere.
Check out Lochsa Checkerboard images from space.
No Comments » | N Idaho, Roadless, wildlife | Permalink
Posted by justinhayes
November 6, 2008
By Sara Cohn, Community Conservation Associate-
Some days are different. Some days, you feel connected to your community, your nation, and your world.
It has been a long two years. Perhaps your most notable feeling today is relief – that it is over, that we can move on from campaigning to addressing our current challenges, and that we don’t have to see any more political campaign adds.
Whatever you are feeling – whatever your mood may be today, you can take heart that you are not alone. That many people in many countries are feeling just like you.
The New York Times has a mesmerizing application that demonstrates this beautifully.
If nothing else – feel connected.
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Posted by courtneywashburn
November 5, 2008
By Susan Drumheller, North Idaho Associate-
The proposed Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail project just got a little smoother with the award of a National Park Service grant to the Friends of Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail.
The Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail would connect Sandpoint’s City Beach with the north shore communities of Ponderay and Kootenai along Lake Pend Oreille’s shoreline, providing much needed access to the lakeshore and a greenbelt for bicyclists, dog walkers and other non-motorized users.
The agency’s Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Service Program will be assisting the Friends of Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail – led by the Idaho Conservation League – with planning and public involvement. The Park Service has assigned a community planner to the project for the coming year, with the possibility of extending the assistance for a second year.
The Friends have spent much of the past year generating community interest and momentum in the project, which helped land the National Park Service grant.
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Posted by justinhayes
November 5, 2008
By Susan Drumheller, North Idaho Associate-
The Gristmill blog reported this week that a recent survey showed most geoscientists see us reaching “peak oil” within 10 years. Peak oil is that point at which our global gluttony and dependence on oil consumption will go on a forced diet, because we’ll essentially start to run the well dry.
What happens then?
Well, at least two communities in Idaho are trying to come up with local rescue plans by joining the global transition initiative movement.
Earlier this year, Sandpoint became the second “Transition Town” in the United States (Boulder, Colo., was the first – no surprise there!), followed soon after by Ketchum.
Transition towns are partaking in a social experiment to create resilient, vibrant and sustainable post-oil communities. Their focus is on protecting and strengthening the environmental, economic and social infrastructure of their towns. One transition project in Totnes, U.K., for example, was to grow walnut trees for food security and wood supply.
Sandpoint Tansition Initiative is planning an “unleashing” event Nov. 14 at the Panida Theater — a fitting location, because the historic local theater was rescued, too, by community activism.
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Posted by courtneywashburn
November 3, 2008
By Brad Smith, Conservation Associate-
The Forest Service recently released a draft plan for the use of off-road vehicles on the Salmon-Challis National Forest. The plan is part of a national effort to get motorized vehicles on designated roads and trails to protect our forests, deserts and grasslands from destructive “off-road” use.
The draft plan includes four different options or alternatives. At our request, the Forest Service developed Alternative 3 to emphasize non-motorized recreation in the Borah Peak and Pioneer Mountains recommended wilderness areas.
Although the focus of the plan is on where motorized recreation is to be allowed, by default other backcountry trails would be for hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking. At the very least, the Forest Service should protect its recommended wilderness areas from off-road vehicles.
The plan is also intended to better protect fish and wildlife of the Salmon-Challis National Forest.
For more detailed information you may view the plan online. The Forest Service is accepting public comments through November 25.
If you frequent the Salmon-Challis National Forest, you should send the agency a letter or e-mail asking for the protection of Borah Peak and he Pioneers from the destructive off-road use occurring there.
No Comments » | Idaho Wilderness, Roadless, wildlife | Permalink
Posted by justinhayes
October 31, 2008
By Rick Johnson, Executive Director-
For good reason much is being made of the current financial crisis, but I just came upon this story from the BBC reporting on a study that measures the economic cost of forest loss.
“The global economy is losing more money from the disappearance of forests than through the current banking crisis, according to an EU-commissioned study,” the BBC reports.
Forest ecosystems provide many valuable services like absorbing carbon dioxide and as a source of clean water.
The BBC reported study was commissioned by the European Union. Study leader Pavan Sukhdev said,”So whereas Wall Street by various calculations has to date lost, within the financial sector, $1-$1.5 trillion, the reality is that at today’s rate we are losing natural capital at least between $2-$5 trillion every year.”
There is an added Halloween scare for you.
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Posted by rickjohnson
