Blaine County, Idaho – Join the Wood River Land Trust, Idaho Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, and University of Idaho for a community conversation with Dennis Becker, Dean of the College of Natural Resources. Dennis will share his expertise on how the Wood River Valley community can mitigate and respond to wildland fires with cross-sector solutions. Scott Boettger, President of the Wood River Land Trust says, “In 2013, when the Beaver Creek fire burned 114,000 acres in our backyard, only one structure was lost. Credit is due to our local firefighters, as well as our local zoning codes— restricting development on hillsides and up remote drainages better prepared us to fight the fire.” In light of Dennis’ research and Blaine County’s wildfire history, Planning Director Cece Osborn at the Wood River Land Trust will discuss the interface between our built environment, community efforts, and surrounding open spaces. Tess O’Sullivan, The Nature Conservancy’s Land Conservation Strategy Lead, will share information about the Conservancy’s statewide approach to building resilient forests that includes the use of prescribed fire. Solutions to wildfires are multi-faceted, reliant on regional coordination, and key to preserving our community’s natural resources. Join us in a community conversation at Ketchum …
The New Era of Conservation: What Working Landscapes Bring to the Table
Western Landowners Alliance presents this panel discussion on the New Era of Conservation in advance of and in partnership with the Trailing of the Sheep Festival. The conversation will focus on the importance of both private and public lands, the critical role of agriculture in conservation, and obstacles that landowners face in stewarding these landscapes. The panel will also touch on the idea of stewardship beyond boundaries: the need for all of us—landowners, sportsmen, recreationalists, ranchers, urban residents—to look beyond the boundaries of our land or immediate self-interests. Panelists will include Lesli Allison, the CEO of the Western Landowners Alliance, Cameron Westcamp, the Operations Manager for Rinker Rock Creek Ranch, and a local producer. The discussion will be moderated by Eric Winford, Associate Director of the University of Idaho Rangeland Center.
SIHA Summer Series
Join the Sawtooth Interpretive & Historical Association for their 16th annual Sawtooth Forum & Lecture Series at the Stanley Museum, 5pm every other Friday June 30-August 25. June 30: Grizzly Bears and the Bitterroot and Central Idaho Wilderness presented by Steve Nadeau, Wildlife Biologist July 14: What Lies Beneath: How the Idaho Batholith Influenced the Yellowstone- Snake River Plain Supervolcanoes presented by Kathrine Potter, PhD July 28: Multiple Voices, Varied Spaces: Literature and History in the American West presented by Amanda J. Zink, PhD August 11: Seeking Beauty: The Wanderings of a Vagabond presented by Ed Cannady, Photographer and retired SNRA Backcountry Manager August 25: Advocates For Our Future: A Youth Perspective on Salmon Recovery presented by Lilly Wilson, Salmon Youth Protectors September 22 at The Community Library in Ketchum: The Salmon Way: An Alaska State of Mind presented by Amy Gulick, Photographer and Author
Locals Guide to Driving & Parking around Sun Valley
Chief Deputy for the Blaine County Sheriff’s Department, Will Fruehling, has been patrolling the streets of the Wood River Valley for over 20 years. Since starting his career as a patrol officer for the Ketchum Police Department in 1995, Fruehling has been a patrol deputy, a Sergeant, Investigator for the Idaho Department of Corrections, and was appointed to his current position in 2017 by Sheriff Harkins. As a local and a police officer, Fruehling has seen plenty of visitors come and go over the years and through the seasons. So we asked him some tips on driving and parking, what his driving pet peeves are, and Fruehling settles the Miscellany II debate between left-lane drivers and right-lane once and for all. What tips do you have for visitors who haven’t driven in snow before? Will: “Obviously, the first thing is for people to slow down when the road’s covered in snow or when the road is slick. You see these people who wiz by and then you see them right in front of you at the next stoplight in town and you’re like, they made it at the same time that I did, but they went too fast for these …