https://sbbchidaho.org/events/DTS-Stanley.html
Stanley 2025 Workshop-DRAFT (PDF)
https://wildernessskillsinstitute.org/nrwsi/sessions/
The 2025 Northern Rockies Wilderness Skills Institute will be held from May 19 – 23, 2025. Sessions will start at 11 AM PT on Monday and conclude at 12 PM PT on Friday. To allow for flexibility in sessions this year you are allowed to register for one session on Monday and Tuesday, and one session on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. You must register for two sessions and stay for the entire week. The exception to this is the Crosscut Saw C- Recertification and Host A/B Course and Advanced Trail Maintenance courses which are week-long.
COST: There is no cost to attend.
FOOD: On your own – no food provided. Participants will handle their own meals. Cooking facilities may be provided – more information will be provided ahead of the event.
CLICK HERE TO APPLY- Registration will close April 1st.
ATTENDANCE PREREQUISITE:
- Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training class “Wilderness Act of 1964” online class – The Wilderness Act of 1964 – Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center (iu.edu)
This online course is recommended to be taken before attending the Northern Rockies Wilderness Skills Institute but is optional. This is a free class, which includes reading short narratives, listening to audio, interactive graphics, and quizzes. The purpose of The Wilderness Act of 1964 course is to acquaint you with the contents of this law and equip you to consider its impact in managing a wilderness area; this is foundational material relevant to everyone working in wilderness stewardship. We have designed the sessions at the Wilderness Skills Institute assuming you have already taken this class and have learned this foundational material. Feedback from past students has shown that most people prefer to take this class on their own before the full session, so that they can go at their own pace and have time to reflect on what they learned. The average time it takes students is 2.5 hours. You can stop and start the class anytime you want – you don’t have to take it all at once. Once at the Wilderness Skills Institute, please be prepared to discuss what you learned from the class, what surprised you, and what was the most important thing you got from the curriculum. 
NRWSI_25_Flyer (PDF)
Kathleen Sgamma is a longtime oil and gas industry advocate, often critical of the agency’s policies.
Longtime oil and gas industry advocate and vocal critic of federal oversight Kathleen Sgamma is President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, an agency that oversees some 18.4 million surface acres and 42.9 million acres of mineral estate in Wyoming.
With management authorities that affect agriculture, wildlife habitat, recreation, oil and gas development, commercial-scale renewable energy and the world’s largest coal producing region in the Powder River Basin, the federal agency plays a pivotal role in Wyoming’s economy.
Sgamma is president of the Denver, Colorado-based Western Energy Alliance, a powerful oil and gas trade group that advocates for the industry’s access to public lands — like those managed by the agency she’s now slated to run. The group is often at odds with federal agencies, particularly the BLM, over federal rules and regulations. Sgamma and the Western Energy Alliance are well known throughout the West, and her nomination has garnered cheers from fossil fuel industry leaders and jeers from many in conservation.
Gov. Mark Gordon described Trump’s nomination of Sgamma as “an excellent choice…to lead the Bureau of Land Management.
“As someone who has worked with Ms. Sgamma,” Gordon continued in a prepared statement, “I know she is well-qualified and knowledgeable when it comes to Wyoming, the West, and multiple use of public lands.”
Public lands advocacy group Center for Western Priorities, however, regards the nomination as “inappropriate” and “a direct threat to Western communities and wildlife that depend on healthy landscapes, clean air, and clean water.”
Sgamma “has consistently misrepresented the industry’s impact on public lands, always putting oil and gas companies’ interests above those of all Americans,” Center for Western Priorities Policy Director Rachael Hamby said in a prepared statement. “This appointment will hand the keys to our public lands over to oil and gas companies.”
Read what the study says Reintroduced Wolves
New research has demonstrated the powerful impacts the reintroduction of predators can have on an ecosystem. The presence of wolves in Yellowstone National Park has driven a cascading effect that has literally changed the landscape. The new study used data from previous studies on 25 riparian (streamside) sites collected over a 20-year period – from 2001 to 2020. The results show a 1,500 percent increase in willow crown volume along these streams in northern Yellowstone National Park. The effects were produced by changing behavior among elk adapting to the presence of a large carnivore guild (wolves) reintroduced into the Park in 1995-96, and other factors.
Brooke Leslie Rollins (born April 10, 1972) is an American attorney and policy advisor who is the nominee for United States secretary of agriculture in President Donald Trump‘s second administration.
Rollins previously served as deputy general counsel, ethics advisor, and policy director to Texas governor Rick Perry. She is an advocate of criminal justice reform. Rollins was the president and CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, an Austin-based conservative think tank, from 2003 through 2018. During her tenure at TPPF, the think tank grew from having a staff of three to a staff of 100.
Rollins oversaw the White House Office of American Innovation under President Donald Trump from 2018 until 2020. She also served as the acting director of the United States Domestic Policy Council under President Trump. Since the end of the Trump administration, Rollins served as the president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute.
On November 23, 2024, President-elect Trump announced his intent to nominate Rollins to be secretary of agriculture. If confirmed, she will be the second woman to hold the position, after Ann Veneman.
First Trump administration
Office of American Innovation
In February 2018, Rollins replaced Reed Cordish as Trump’s assistant to the president for intergovernmental and technology initiatives and as a member of the Office of American Innovation.[9]
Rollins was influential in encouraging the passage of the First Step Act, legislation that reforms the nation’s prison system and seeks to reduce recidivism. The First Step Act was signed into law by President Trump in December 2018.[10]
Domestic Policy Counci
In May 2020, President Trump named Rollins acting director of the United States Domestic Policy Council.[11][12][13]
In her first public interview as acting director of the Domestic Policy Council, Rollins said she was focused on bringing “together all sides of the table to figure out how we can move forward together.”[14] She said the U.S. “is a nation in mourning for the senseless death of George Floyd and the senseless loss of livelihood all over this country.” Rollins struck an optimistic tone on the country’s future, saying “this is America and we have been through difficult times before. We are a nation of doers and believers and dreamers, and we are a nation where if anybody tells us to step back, we step three feet forward.”[14]
Amid nationwide protests and racial unrest, Rollins said “we need everyone to rise above the division and the divide and come together.” She said the White House was “working through a list of solutions and possibilities, bipartisan. How do we come together? How do we use this as a unifying force for this country?”[15]
At an event announcing the signing of the new order, President Trump said his goal was to maintain law and order as well as justice and safety. He said “Reducing crime and raising standards are not opposite goals. They are not mutually exclusive. They work together.” According to Politico, the order was crafted “in consultation with police officers, mayors, conservative African Americans, faith-based leaders and the families of victims.”[16]
Equine Guelph and the Equine Disease Communication Center Announce the New Biosecurity Risk Calculator 2.0
A new, innovative online healthcare tool to help horse owners better manage and understand biosecurity risks is now available through a partnership between Equine Guelph and the Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC).
The Biosecurity Risk Calculator is designed to assess and manage infectious disease risks. The new partnership between Equine Guelph and the EDCC will enhance the tool’s educational resources and outreach.
The Biosecurity Risk Calculator is now available for free at TheHorsePortal.com/BiosecurityTool and on the EDCC biosecurity page. The enhanced tool provides users with easy access to vital information and personalized risk assessments. This tool empowers the equine community to take proactive steps in preventing the spread of infectious diseases. In just ten minutes, you can calculate, manage, and minimize biosecurity threats to keep your equine friends healthy by going through ten categories for your farm or facility’s score.
Key Features of the new Biosecurity Risk Calculator:
- Personalized Risk Assessment: Users can input specific information about their horses and facilities to receive tailored biosecurity recommendations.
- Educational Resources: With EDCC as Equine Guelph’s a new partner, the tool now includes updated educational materials on disease prevention and management.
- New User-Friendly Interface: The tool is designed to be intuitive and easy to navigate, making it accessible for all horse owners and caretakers.
To read more about the upgraded biosecurity risk calculator, please visit https://thehorseportal.ca/2025/02/equine-guelph-launches-biosecurity-risk-calculator-2-0-with-new-partner-equine-disease-communication-center-edcc/
February Update
And now to update you all on the latest news on funding our trail work. At this time, all of our cost share agreements with the US Forest Service have been put on pause while the new federal administration evaluates the federal budget. We have been working using funding from several Challenge Cost Share Agreements that allow us to be paid by the US Forest Service to perform the trail work on their lands. We have one ongoing agreement to replace about 130 trail signs that were damaged in the wild fires of 2022, and close to signing 2 more agreements to continue our volunteer trail work and to hire a hosted crew of 3 to replace 2 trail bridges in the Eagle Cap Wilderness this year. All of that is on hold for now and we do not know if any of it will be approved. Meanwhile, our Plan B is to apply for grants from non-federal organizations to tide us over until we have a better idea about how much support we will get from our federal partners. Please cross your fingers for us that something in Washington, DC settles out soon!
Now about trainings!
- We will again offer both a Crosscut Saw (May 16-18th) and a Chainsaw Training (May 30-June 1). I will be sending out another email next week to our sawyers that need to recertify, but in the meantime if you know that you want to take one or both of these classes send me an email and I will get you on the list. If you cannot attend these classes, our sister organization (Idaho Trails Association) will be presenting their saw training on May 9-11th in McCall. Contact me if you want to attend that one.
- We will be offering the Basic First Aid/CPR training again locally in Enterprise with Joyce Himes, and I would like to sponsor a Backcountry First Aid class, as well. This is a class that is intermediate between Basic and Wilderness First Aid. There is an online component (2-6 hours) and an in person component (6 hours). It is supported by the Oregon Trails Coalition. Please let me know if you would like to attend either type of First Aid Training.
- I will be presenting our own training in Communication and Navigation, and also a training in Rope Rigging for Trail Work. Again let me know if either of these is of interest. Once I have a list of participants, I will find a date that works for the most people.
- Our stock handlers will be presenting a class in how to operate safely around pack animals and how to help the handlers prepare and load packs on the horses or mules. This training will be in early May, possibly the 10th. Stay tuned for a firm date, and let me know if you are interested in attending this training.
And lastly, our partners at the US Forest Service have asked us to help get the word out about their Volunteer Wilderness Ranger positions in the Lakes Basin of the Eagle Cap Wilderness. If you or someone you know is interested in being a Volunteer Wilderness Ranger this summer here is the link to the application:
Phew! Guess I wasn’t so brief after all, but I hope this was at least interesting if not actually useful! I look forward to seeing you all at the Annual Meeting and out on a trail this next summer!
Mike Hansen
Executive Director
Wallowa Mountains Hells Canyon Trails Association
541-398-8225
Kay Ryan
- Treasurer of Back Country Horsemen for many years (2009 – 2024)
- Lead the effort to bring the organization into the black financially
- Managed the state calendar program & prizes.
- Developed guides and checklist for board meetings and conventions
- Work at the BCHI booth at the Idaho Sportsman Show & Idaho Horse Expo
- Keep the BCHI board meetings on track!
- Supported BCHI & our chapter with thousands of hours of work
Phil Ryan
-
- Chairman of Back Country Horsemen of Idaho (2009-2010)
- Vice Chairman of BCHI (2008)
- BCHI Public Lands Idaho Region 4 (at least 10 years)
- BCHI Board Member for many years
- Created the Chainsaw Trophy for best chapter display
- President of Squaw Butte Chapter multiple times
- Member of the Idaho Recreation Council
- Member of the Idaho Horse Council
- Go to person on Equine Issues of Public lands for Idaho Governor’s Office
- Member of the Frank Church Wilderness Coalition
- Member of the Owyhee Initiative Board
- Serviced on boards and committees for IDPR
- Tireless advocate for stock use on public lands
- Stock Packing Instructor
- Worked on numerous pack support projects for other volunteer groups
- Staunch advocate for Idaho’s Public Lands
February 5, 2025 – House Resource Committee Passed the Bill and recommends the Full House Pass it!
Parks and Trails Passport One-Pager – Oct 2024
Nick Fasciano is the executive director of the Idaho Wildlife Federation, Idaho’s oldest and largest statewide conservation organization promoting the conservation of Idaho’s wildlife heritage and legacy of sporting opportunities. There has been much discussion about the mismanagement of Idaho’s public lands by the BLM, and some, including the Idaho GOP, feel we should limit and reduce the amount of land owned or administered by the federal government. Nick was able to shed light on the major problems with taking over management and ownership of our incredible public lands. If we want to preserve this incredible resource for future generations, these are key considerations. Enjoy!