Idaho Needs Your Help Again

Last fall when Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter asked Idahoans to help restore sagebrush habitats that went up in smoke during the summer's wildfires, nearly a thousand people volunteered. They collected 3,500 pounds of sagebrush seed for the Murphy Complex and Warm Springs Fires. "The volunteer sagebrush seed collection effort was incredible," Otter said. "It makes me proud that Idahoans contributed hundreds of hours collecting more than a ton and a half of seed." Now the governor is asking Idahoans to meet another challenge this spring. "We need a thousand volunteers to help plant tens of thousands of bitterbrush and sagebrush seedlings to help restore burned native shrub habitats in southern Idaho," he said. "We simply cannot accomplish the work without volunteers who truly make a difference." Why plant bitterbrush and sagebrush? The native shrubs comprise an important component of big game winter ranges in Idaho and throughout the West. They provide essential food sources for deer, elk, sage-grouse and other wildlife, and they provide cover from the elements and predators and nesting habitat. Even large animals, such as deer and elk, find shelter among mature stands of bitterbrush and sagebrush during winter storms. The animals hunker down under the shrubs, out of the wind and snow, to conserve precious body fat that they need to survive the lean winter months. Because of their deep-rooted structure, native shrubs provide soil stabilization and reduce erosion. Planting schedule and contact information: Southwest Region: Dates: March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 and April 5 and 12. Call: 208-327-7095 Magic Valley Region: Dates: Saturdays: March 29, and April 5, 12, 19 and 26. Call: 208-324-4359 Dates may change with weather and access. Anyone interested call the Magic Valley office at 208-324-4359.