High Country
Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Council
High Country
Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Council
|
Current Projects |
Recently Completed Projects |
| Regional Asset Profile | |
| Fremont Economic Development Strategic Plan | |
| Carbon Sequestration | |
| Bonneville West Nile Virus Mosquito Pilot Project | |
| All Hazards Mitigation Plans | If you are interested in learning more about any of these projects contact our office! |
Current Projects
Teton Valley Arena: Teton County lacks an indoor multi-purpose community facility for its citizens. They would like to construct a 150x300 foot building, which will provide a safe environment for the youth and citizens of the county. The fairground property has already been donated by the county. High country RC&D is assisting with grant research and grant writing to raise the needed funds.
Cooperative Weed Management Areas and other Weed Control Projects: These weed control projects are an effort to manage, contain, reduce and eradicate noxious weeds in the High Country Area. There are many different projects addressing a variety of situations and needs. The projects address many aspects of weed management including: educating the public about noxious weeds; spraying weeds; land owner cost-share programs eradicating weeds on private property; biological weed control using insects to control weeds; and other measures.
For more information on weed control and Cooperative Weed Management Areas, visit High Country's CWMA page.
Wild land Urban Interface Community Assistance: As communities develop more and more homes are being built in or adjacent to forestland. Because these homes are so close to fire fuels (timber) they are at high risk in the case of a wild fire. On many properties heavy fuels have accumulated creating severe fire hazards. These projects seek to reduce hazardous fuels through mechanical treatments and educating private land owners. So far, roughly 17 hazardous fuels treatment projects have been completed.
For more information, visit High Country's Wiland Urban Interface page.
Community Forestry Program: The Community Forestry Program helps develop awareness and understanding of the value of sound urban/community forestry. In essence, growing healthy and suitable trees in the city and along roadways. Knowledge of proper tree maintenance, correct planting methods, tree selection criteria and insect and disease control is provided to communities at no cost.
The goal of this project is for communities to learn the value of a healthy urban forest, be aware of it's proper care requirements and have a greater sense of pride in their communities. There are many components to the Community Forestry Program including establishing Tree City USAs, hosting Arbor Days and other opportunities.GET AN AREA TREE SELECTION GUIDE
For more information, visit High Country's Community Forestry page.
Cloud Seeding Program: A RC&D Cloud Seeding committee was formed to investigate the need and interest in a Cloud Seeding program in Eastern, Idaho for the winter seasons. The committee decided to move ahead on a program and proceeded with fundraising efforts. Total funds raised for the 07/08 winter seasons were $120,400. Funding partners include: Water district 1, Counties, Cities, Irrigations Districts, Ground Water Districts, Idaho Falls Power, and Soil and Water Conservation Districts. Clark County was awarded the contract. A total of 21 generators were set up in Bingham, Bonneville, Clark, Fremont, and Teton counties. This project will be and on-going effort for the next five years.
For more information, visit High Country's Cloud Seeding page.
Teton Creek Restoration: This project is located on Teton Creek in Teton County. The stream bank and riparian vegetating has been removed and eight feet of channel is gone. Friends of the Teton River is seeking additional funding to repair and stabilize one mile of the most critical stream bank channel and requested HCRC&D to assist with grant writing and identify additional grant sources.
Butte County Skate park: Butte County and the lost Rivers Youth Coalition would like to provide area youth with a clean and safe recreational opportunity by constructing a skate board park with the City of Arco. They requested grant writing assistance to help locate funds for this project.
Henrys Lake Eurasian watermilfoil Prevention Project: High Country RC&D assisted Fremont County by developing a grant request to the Idaho Department of Ad for Eurasian watermilfoil prevention, which will target Henry's Lake. The overall objective is to protect the lake from invasion of Eurasian watermilfoil (EWM) by initiating a public information outreach campaign targeted at recreational users of the lake, survey Henrys Lake for EWM using Idaho's protocol, and initiate a boat cleaning program at pubic and private launching facilities on the lake. Total funds awarded are $160,923.
For more information, visit High Country's Eurasian watermilfoil page.
City of Challis Skate Park: The city has constructed phase one of the skate park. HCRC&D provided grant assistance, which the city received $30,000 from the CHC Foundation. The youth have already been using the park with positive results. They are looking for additional funds to finish the 2nd phase.
Regional Asset Profile: The Regional Asset Profile will inventory, characterize and analyze the economic opportunities during the off season in a 25 county region that includes and surrounds Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. HCRC&D supports this project and is assisting in raising the needed funds.
Fremont Economic Development Strategic Plan: Fremont County has received a grant form the Idaho Department of Ag to develop and Economic Development Plan. They have hired a full-time Economic Development Specialist and have partnered with Island Park and West Yellowstone to work together on economic activities. HCRC&D has agreed to be a part of the steering committee and has attended several planning meetings.
Carbon Sequestration: HCRC&D co-sponsored a Carbon Sequestration workshop at the Idaho Falls Public Library to learn about the National Carbon Offset Coalition (NCOC) pilot carbon credit training program ongoing efforts as well as lean the application process to submit carbon sequestration projects. The NCOC provides an opportunity for land owners, public and private corporations, tribal, local and state governments to participate in a market-based conservation program that can help offset the environmental impacts of greenhouse gases. Sequestration of carbon through natural resource based programs can help reverse soil, water and air degradation, while providing enhancement of wildlife and recreational opportunities. Ted Dodge, Neil Sampson, and Emily Tafoya represented the NCOC and the workshop as well attended. HCRC&D became and NCOC Affiliate Member in March of 2007. A portfolio of qualified rangeland acres is currently being assembled.
Bonneville West Nile Virus Mosquito Pilot Project: During 2007, four biological science interns from BYU-I was hired to implement this project. The goal of the project was to establish a cost effective mosquito surveillance and monitoring program in targeted regions of Bonneville County. The objective was to provide real time data to County and City officials regarding the status of mosquito populations so that appropriate treatment options can be initiated to reduce exposure to WNV. Using GPS technology, they identified and treated over 200 bodies of water. This project was selected as on of the success stories to be given at the 2008 Western RC&D Association Conference in January at Las Cruces, New Mexico.
For the 2008 information click on Bonneville Counties PowerPoint Presentation here: Bonneville County Mosquito Abatement 08
All Hazards Mitigation Plans: Madison County received a grant from Bureau of Homeland Security to develop comprehensive FEMA approved All Hazard Mitigation Plans (AHMPs) in each of the nine counties. HCRC&D is administering the grant. These plans will identify and quantify natural hazards that pose a threat and devbelop strategies to mitigate risks before a disaster occurs. In the end, projects identified in the plan may be eligible for FEMA funding. Whisper Mountain Professional Services was awarded the contract. This project will be completed by August 2008.
Recently Completed Projects
City of Ucon Enhancement Project: The City of Ucon requested grant assistance to locate funs to accomplish three tasks including: beautify the primary entrance into the city, create a community venter and enhance and existing community park. HCRC&D provided planning and grant writing assistance. This project received $13,000 from CHC Foundation for the Community Building Remodel and Simmons Park Tree Planting. Ucon also received a CTE grant for $20,462 from Idaho Department of Lands for tree plantings that will be implemented in 2008.
Custer County Wild land Fire Mitigation Plan: The goal of county wildland fire mitigation plans is to develop projects that enhance wildfire protection. As communities develop, more homes are being built in the wildland urban interface (areas where homes are adjacent to forests, rangelands or other wildlands). These homes and their residents are at a high risk should a wildfire start. This project gathered information describing the major wildfire-related concerns within Custer County. A Wildland Fire Plan was then developed helping the county be better prepared for a wild fire.
Bonneville County Fairgrounds Building: The existing Bonneville County 4-H Exhibition and Community Resource Building needs renovation to better serve it's users. 4-H programs use this building extensively as do the Bonneville Youth Development Council, the Idaho Fish and Game for their hunter safety courses and other publics. This building needs insulation, a new ceiling, heating units and new doors and lights to make it usable year round. This project seeks to help the fair board get funding sources to renovate the building. Project sponsors are the Bonneville County Fair Board and Bonneville County.
Community Emergency Preparedness: Community emergency preparedness is being improved through a Citizens Corps program. This program helps people across America take a more active role in crime prevention, support the emergency medical community, and be better trained in a wide range of emergency preparedness and disaster response activities. Many communities in the RC&D Area are in outlying areas. If a disaster was to occur, these communities could have critical need for emergency services and only be able to rely on themselves and closely neighboring communities. Citizen Corps was formed to coordinate training, planning, response and recovery activities during emergencies. Another aspect of the Citizen Corps program is Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT). This project promotes a partnering effort between emergency services and the people they serve in seven counties. The goal is for emergency personnel to train members of neighborhoods, community organizations, or workplaces in basic emergency response skills. This project, thus far, has trained 27 CERT instructors; taught 30 CERT classes; and graduated 309 CERT certified volunteers in seven counties.