High Country Resource Conservation and Development  (RC&D) Council

                              Local People Solving Local Problems

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   High Country RC&D Projects

  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.

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  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.

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  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. 

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  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.

  For more information, visit High Country's Community Forestry page.

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  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.

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  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.

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  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. 

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  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 Aquatic Invasive Species page.

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

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  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 a

  assembled.

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  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

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Recently Completed Projects

  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.

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  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.

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  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. 

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  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.

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  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.

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