READ FULL STORY BY NICOLE BLANCHARD Idaho Stateman

A pair of khaki pants on the ground, off-trail in Central Idaho’s Sawtooth Range, was the first sign to Sandy Epeldi that something was not right. The 59-year-old Boise man was exploring near remote Benedict Lake north of Atlanta during a six-day backpacking trip in late July when he found the clothing. The pants had obviously been outside for some time, Epeldi told the Idaho Statesman in an interview. They were inside out, with undergarments still attached. “I knew something bad had probably happened,” Epeldi said. “That’s not something you usually find in such a remote place.”

Within a few moments of searching, Epeldi and his hiking companion, Frank Burke, located a boot. Then they found the contents of a wallet that contained the ID of a man they’d already heard of: Jack Forest Thomas. The 66-year-old Nampa man went missing while hiking in 2016. “He just happened to vanish into the part of the wilderness that’s my favorite part to go into,” Epeldi said. “The year after Jack went missing, I did a route really similar to his and it was always in my mind: ‘Are we going to stumble upon something out here?’ ” When Thomas went missing in 2016, law enforcement looked for about two weeks before calling off the search.

After that, it was up to Thomas’ loved ones to find him. Boise County officials recovered Thomas’ remains a few weeks after Epeldi and Burke found his belongings — more than seven years after he disappeared. Idaho is one of many states where missing person searches fall largely to volunteers who are led by a mishmash of local sheriffs’ offices and nonprofits that are often short on resources. Search-and-rescue officials from around the state told the Idaho Statesman the system works quite well, with the exception of funding shortfalls.

But families of the missing said finding answers becomes much more complicated once sheriffs decide it’s time to call off a search. Search-and-rescue experts say a more formalized system could make it more likely that missing people are found alive or their remains are recovered in much less time — all while saving families the pain of taking on their own investigation.

Jack Davis (1963) painted by Conrad Schwiering (American, 1916 – 1986)

That’s (almost) a wrap

This year our first project was March 19th, with a group of BSU students working the Bernard Creek trail in Hells Canyon as part of their Alternative Spring Break Program. Our last project will be October 7th, maintaining the Dry Creek Trail in the Boise Foothills. That’s nearly seven months of trail work! The upshot of seven months was logging over 13,000 hours of volunteer time clearing almost 300 miles of trail and scouting over 100 for future projects- more than ever before! Rain, wind, heat, bugs…nothing (except the errant wildfire) kept us from pulling saws and working loppers, from scraping tread and cleaning drains. ITA volunteers are tough. And resilient. And fun!

So thank you. It’s you all— the volunteers, the individual and corporate donors, the grantors, the non-profit partners, the land manager partners— who’ve allowed us to expand our season. Having the funds and volunteer power to work low-elevation trails in the cooler seasons and focus on high-elevation trails with a shorter snow-free season in the heart of summer results in more trails cleared in more places, providing access to Idaho’s deepest river canyons and highest alpine lakes.

As ITA staff and board watch the sun set earlier each day and weather besides clear skies and sun take over the forecast, we look back on 2023 with gratitude and forward with optimism on 2024 and beyond. Spring Equinox here we come, Pulaski’s raised (but not over our heads, because that’s dangerous).

Melanie Vining
Executive Director

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Tuesday, September 26, 2023
Champion Creek Trailhead and Tin Cup Horse Transfer Camp, Idaho
This is a continuation of my September 2023 trip into the Sawtooth’s. For part one, click here: Grandjean

After leaving Grandjean, I stopped off at Little Redfish Lake because I had camped in a nice little dispersed spot there before, and it is one of the only areas with cell service. BUT when I arrived, they were doing road work in that exact area, and my spot had been obliterated, foiling my plan. So I hung out by the lake for awhile, it was a rest day, and then eventually drove over to Decker Flat instead.

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TIN CUP CORRALS BUILT BY SBBCHI 2023

Dear Recreationists and Agency Representatives,

Thank you very much for attending the recent Greater Boise Recreationists meeting, held September 7th at the Bogus Basin ticket office. If you did not manage to attend, we hope you will make the next meeting, slated for December.  Attached please find the “power point in PDF Format” which was presented at the meeting and the notes, which are based on breakout group discussions.

Best regards,

Liz Bridges
GBR Steering Committee member

GBR_notes_09.07.2023    /  20230901GBR Presentation September 7 FINAL

St George News BLM e-bike memo Aug24 2023

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So you want to spend more time outdoors?

Whether you’re a local or a visitor, the US is home to 62 national parks. Yellowstone became the world’s first national park in 1872. And in the years that followed, numerous other areas became national parks and, as part of the Organic Act 1916, the US National Park Service (NPS) was created in 1916 to:

“conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and wildlife therein, and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”

NPS is now responsible for more than 400 separate areas making up about 85 million acres, including national parks, national preserves, monuments, recreation areas, seashores, lakeshores, historic parks and sites, parkways, scenic trails, and battlefields.

Within the system, 62 sites are designated as national parks. The selection criteria for national parks includes aspects like unique geological features or unusual ecosystems, recreational opportunities, and, of course, natural beauty.   READ MORE

The deer herd that resides within McCall’s city limits is once again up for discussion.

Idaho Fish and Game gave a presentation to McCall City Council, warning that the deer problem could get worse.

Through surveys done over the winter, Fish and Game now estimate the in-town deer population to be at least 258. It was noted that there is a high fawn-to-doe ratio, meaning the herd is growing.

“We learned that we have a minimum of 258 deer living in town during winter. We observed that they’re quite habituated to people,” Regan Berkley of Fish and Game said. “…We saw a very high fawn to doe a ratio… But the essence of what that means is this is a growing deer herd. The fawn-doe ratio that we observed here in town is nearly twice what we usually see at that same time in winter range on our natural herds.”

Fish and Game has recently taken 40-plus calls from people reporting dead/injured deer. Berkley said this number is likely higher as the McCall Police Department is also receiving reports.

The problem & past measures

There was a trapping effort in late January in Cascade led by Fish and Game. It was stopped after 75% of the 20 captured deer had exotic lice. Berkley said there is “no reasonable medication or treatment” for this.

“Those had exotic lice and had to be euthanized. We did not go into that as a euthanasia effort. We went into it with the hopes that we would be able to translocate most of the deer that we laid hands on. That turned out not to be the case,” Berkley said. “We stopped trapping after two days to regroup.”

There have been two cases of exotic lice found in McCall deer – this prevents relocation to winter range. In addition to spreading lice, there is also concern about the growing mountain lion population from the influx of deer.

Fish and Game have received over 50 reports of mountain lions since mid-January, most of which have been spotted around Rio Vista Boulevard and Spring Mountain Ranch.

“It is not atypical for us to have some reports of mountain lions in town any given winter we get a couple here or there. This winter has been remarkable,” Berkley said.

More issues that come from feeding include deer getting trapped in things like hammocks and Christmas lights, and aggressive deer.

“Although not exclusively, it is mama deer that likely have a fawn stashed nearby that no one can see because that’s how they deal with their fawn….then when someone comes walking along unwittingly with their dog, we get reports of dogs being threatened and or actually stomped by deer nearly every year,” Berkley said. “…We do occasionally have deer actually being threatening towards people – not letting people get in their front door and that sort of thing.”

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Since the inception of the Sportsmen Show, BHCI chapters “Boise, Squaw Butte & Treasure Valley” have had an information booth next to the USFS booth where we provide information about the organization and the need for volunteers to assist with the stewardship of trails on public lands in Idaho.  With BCHI increasing partnership with the Idaho Trails Association in the last decade they joined the booth in 2018.  Covid impacted this show over the last couple of year, with 2023 being the first year that the show was back to full size with the attendance of the past.

Thank you to all the chapter and ITA members who took time to staff our booth and talk to the public that showed an interest in our organizations and our Mission!

Animated Ski Short Classic: It’s Time to Watch ‘Hors Piste’ If You Haven’t Already

READ MORE: SCNF Partnerships Newsletter Feb 2023

READ MORE: SCNF Partnership and Volunteer Program Strategy FY 2023

I am writing to tell you that my wife Nancy passed yesterday afternoon. She had fond memories of all of you and the good times spent in your company.

Robbin Schindele
High Haven House
PO Box 342
Glide, OR 97443
208.365.1789 / robbinschindele@yahoo.com

Greetings SBFC members and friends,

It is my privilege to announce the hiring of Ryan Ghelfi as the next Executive Director of the Selway Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation. Ryan brings with him a lifelong passion for all things Wilderness. Ryan has a degree in Business Administration/Accounting from Southern Oregon University. In his resume, Ryan describes himself as “an outdoor professional with a wide breadth of experience in the mountains and in business with a lifelong passion for Wilderness, trails, and maintaining access to our vast public lands.” When you meet Ryan, you will see why we are so excited to have him leading our team.

Ryan and his family will be moving from Ashland Oregon to McCall, Idaho in February. Ryan and his wife have two children with a third due in April. In Ashland, Ryan owned two Wilderness related businesses and was the treasurer for the Siskiyou Mountain Club. Ryan was a professional long distance runner from 2014-2020. He held speed records for ascents of Half Dome and Mt. Shasta. Please join me in welcoming Ryan into the SBFC community.

Ryan will begin his new position on March 1 after spending time working with outgoing Executive Director, Sally Ferguson, to assure a smooth transition.

Sincerely,
Jim Heidelberger; SBFC Board Chair

NEW SOUTH WALES, Australia — Sometimes you just want McDonald’s ice cream and sometimes you’re a horse.

That was the case for one tiny horse in Australia.

The horse was spotted in the drive-thru at a McDonald’s in New South Wales.

Video taken by human drive-thru customer Donna Bevan showed the horse waiting patiently in the backseat of another car.

She posted the video to TikTok last week.

Bevan told Storyful she first thought the animal was a “huge white dog” until she looked again.

The driver of the other vehicle told Bevan the horse’s name is Rocco.

“He’s excited for his ice cream!” the driver shouted.

Bevan called seeing a horse waiting in a car for McDonald’s soft serve an “unbelievable sight.”

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Fueled still by an influx of people moving from other states, Idaho was the second-fastest growing state in the country in 2022, with a population that nearly reached 2 million people for the first time in July, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau estimates.

Compared to the previous estimate in July 2021, Idaho grew by 1.8% to an estimated population of 1,939,033 people in July 2022, census officials said.

As Idaho edged toward the 2 million population mark for the first time, only Florida grew at a faster rate nationally in terms of percentage growth. In 2022, Florida grew by an estimated 1.9% according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Although the latest population figures were released by the U.S. Census Bureau, the numbers are estimates and are different from the results of the official census. The official census takes place every 10 years, with the most recent census taking place in 2020. To obtain the latest population estimates, U.S. Census Bureau officials used data on births, deaths and migration to calculate population changes since the most recent 2020 census.

Results of the official census conducted every 10 years are important for a number of reasons. They determine the allocation of states’ seats in the United States House of Representatives, play a role in calculating the amount of federal funding sent to a state and shape how state legislative and congressional boundaries are drawn and divided during state redistricting procedures.

The annual population estimates, such as the new 2022 figure, give insight into how populations change and shift during the 10 years between the official census.

What caused Idaho’s population to increase?

According to news releases issued by the U.S. Census Bureau and Idaho Department of Labor on Dec. 22 and Dec. 23, Idaho’s net in-migration accounted for the vast majority of Idaho’s growth. A positive net in-migration means that more people moved into the state than moved out over the time period.

In-migration accounted for 88% of Idaho’s growth, while natural changes from births outnumbering deaths accounted for about 11% of Idaho’s growth, census officials said.

Growth isn’t new for the Gem State. In fact, growth appears to be slowing. Census officials said Idaho’s growth between July 2021 and July 2022 dipped below the five-year-average of 2.3% and slowed to 2016 levels. For the first time in five years, Idaho was not the top spot for new residents, census officials said.

Nationally, the United States population grew by .4%, up to 333.2 million people. Regionally, the South and the West were the only two regions of the country to experience growth in 2022, census officials said. The Northeast and Midwest posted population declines from 2021 to 2022, with more people moving out than moving in.

“There was a sizeable uptick in population growth last year compared to the prior year’s historically low increase,” Kristie Wilder, a demographer in the Population Division at the Census Bureau, said in a written statement. “A rebound in net international migration, coupled with the largest year-over-year increase in total births since 2007, is behind this increase.”

Nationally, the top five states in terms of percentage growth were:

• Florida, 1.9%
• Idaho, 1.8%
• South Carolina, 1.7%
• Texas, 1.6%
• South Dakota, 1.5%

The five states with the highest percentages of population decline were:

• New York, -0.9%
• Illinois, -0.8%
• Louisiana, -0.8%
• West Virginia, -0.6%
• Hawaii, -0.5%

In the spring, the U.S. Census Bureau plans to release new population estimates for metro areas, counties and cities.