High Country Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Council
"Local People Meeting Together to Meet Local Challenges"
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Special Initiatives
Address:
High Country RC&D
101 N. Bridge St.
St. Anthony, ID 83445
208-624-3200
hcountryrcd@gmail.com
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Current Projects |
Recently Completed Projects |
| Bonneville West Nile Virus Mosquito Pilot Project | |
| Fremont Fort Henry Bicentennial Monument | |
| BPA Energy Efficiency Program | |
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If you are interested in learning more about any of these projects
email our office at hcountryrcd@gmail.com.
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 (CWMA) 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 and more
homes are being built in or adjacent to forestland the need to prevent fires is ever present. 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. Grant funds are used for hazardous fuel clean up, workshops, and landowner work days.
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 USA's,
hosting Arbor Days and other opportunities.
For more information, visit High Country's Community Forestry page.
Cloud Seeding Program: The 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 09/10 winter seasons were $120,000. Funding partners include: Water district 1, Idaho Power,
Counties, Cities, Irrigations Districts, Ground Water Districts, Power Companies, and Soil and Water
Conservation Districts, and Recreation Clubs. Clark County was awarded the contract. A total of 25
manually controlled generators and 14 remote controlled generators were set up in Bingham,
Bonneville, Clark, Fremont, and Teton counties which are operated by Idaho Power. This project will be and on-going effort for the next five years.
For more information, visit High Country's Cloud Seeding page.
Henrys Lake Eurasian Watermilfoil Prevention Project: High Country RC&D assisted Fremont
County in 2008 by developing a grant request to the Idaho Department of Agriculture for Eurasian
Watermilfoil prevention, which will target Henry's Lake. The overall objective was to protect the lake
from invasion of Eurasian Watermilfoil (EWM) by initiating a public information outreach campaign. This campaign was targeted at recreational users of the lake and a way to survey Henrys Lake for EWM using Idaho's protocol. We initiated a boat cleaning program at pubic and private launching facilities on the lake. The project is now in it's 4th year and has expanded to all aquatic invasive species.
For more information, visit High Country's Aquatic Invasive Species 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.
Mud Lake Fair Grounds: Jefferson County is asking for grant assistance to find $50,000
for building bathrooms and running water facilities for the fair ground concessions stand.
Holding the Line Biosaturation Project: This project began in 2009 to prevent Leafy spurge from
currently expanding its range within eastern Idaho and moving eastward into Yellowstone National Park. The Project Area include all or parts of ten counties in east central Idaho. In the future the project will include southwestern Montana and northwestern Wyoming. The project is funded by the USDA- Forest Service. During 2009, nearly 2.2 million Flea beetles were released at 365 new sites on the Rexburg Bench in Madison County. In Fremont County the Conant Creek Watershed and the Ashton Hill were targeted for bio-saturation. 350,000 beetles were released at 65 locations along ten miles of Conant Creek where spurge has almost created a monoculture and destroyed valuable habitat. Over 400,000 beetles were packaged into 78 “bug bombs” and released from the helicopter onto spurge infested sites along the Ashton hill. An additional 300,000 flea beetles were carried in on horseback to 17 remote locations.
For more information, visit the projects website at: http://www.helpholdtheline.com.
Fremont Fair Board: The Fremont County Fair board has requested grant assistance in
finding $350,000 for new bleachers for the Fremont county Fairgrounds. This project will
aid in their restoration of the fair grounds.
Bonneville West Nile Virus Mosquito Pilot Project: During 2009, two interns and one student
from BYU-Idaho were hired to implement this project. The goal of the project was to continue the
cost effective mosquito surveillance and monitoring program targeting select regions of Bonneville
County. Students were able 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 West Nile Virus. Using COP technology, the students treated and monitored over 60
male sites multiple times over during the summer.
Ammon Senior Citizen Activity Park: City of Ammon is asking for grant assistance to develop a
$350,000 Senior Activity Park for local senior to address ongoing health and wellness requirements.
Fremont Fort Henry Bicentennial Monument: The City of St. Anthony and St. Anthony
Rotary club are asking for help to find $29,000 for a life size monument for the bicentennial year of
Fort Henry and Camp Henry.
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 develop 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 was completed by August 2008.
City of Ucon Enhancement Project: The City of Ucon requested grant assistance to locate funds to
accomplish three tasks including: beautify the primary entrance into the city, create a community
center 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
are 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. The 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.
Fremont Economic Development Strategic Plan: Fremont County has received a grant from the
Idaho Department of Agriculture to develop an 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 learn 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 was well attended. HCRC&D became an
NCOC Affiliate Member in March of 2007. A portfolio of qualified rangeland acres is currently being a
assembled.
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