Volunteers Break Fish and Game's Seed Collection Record

Volunteer sagebrush seed collectors for Idaho Fish and Game this year shattered a record set 15 years ago. Nearly 1,000 volunteers collected more than 3,500 pounds of raw sagebrush seed during 18 outings in southwest Idaho and the Magic Valley, donating nearly 4,800 hours. The previous record was set in 1992, the first year of the program, when 505 volunteers collected 2,300 pounds or raw sagebrush seed in response to the 257,000 acre Foothills Fire east of Boise that burned that summer. In the Southwest Region, Fish and Game collected 3,320 pounds of raw sagebrush seed with the help from 759 volunteers on 11 outings up to December 15. This included volunteers from area high schools, an elementary school, Boy Scout troops, home-schoolers, sportsmen's groups, families, Fish and Game regional personnel, and even personnel from Mountain Home Air Force Base. In the Magic Valley Region, Fish and Game collected more than 181 pounds of raw sagebrush seed with help from 225 volunteers on seven outings. Volunteers included three area high schools, Modern Woodsmen, Wood River Land Trust, and individuals and families. Here is a breakdown of the final results: November 13: Magic Valley Volunteers Hours Pounds of Seed Wood River Land Trust 14 28 15 November 17: Southwest MHAFB Outdoor Recreation- 9 Boy Scouts, three troops- 29 Haven Home School- 6 Individuals and families- 30 Subtotal: 74 510 327 November 19: Southwest Mary McPherson Elementary- 30 95 5 November 26: Magic Valley Twin Falls High Students- 65 97 35 November 28: Southwest Capital High School- 37 Mountain Cove High School- 6 Borah High School- 25 Individuals- 2 Subtotal: 70 420 164 November 30: Magic Valley Filer High Students- 32 80 35 December 1: Magic Valley Individuals and families- 26 104 40 December 1: Southwest Wild Turkey Federation- 8 Boy Scouts- 23 MHAFB Outdoor Rec- 15 Centennial High School- 2 Individuals and families- 102 Subtotal: 150 780 460 December 4: Magic Valley Modern Woodsmen- 57 114 20 December 5: Southwest Payette High School- 44 Council Jr. High School- 30 Cambridge High School- 20 Individuals- 2 Subtotal: 96 524 456 December 6: Magic Valley Kimberly High School- 21 63 13.5 December 8: Southwest Boy Scouts- 17 Timberline High School- 11 Ada County Fish & Game League- 8 Individuals and families- 61 Subtotal: 97 679 375 December 8: Southwest Eagle Scout Project- 20 100 100 December 11: Southwest SCIC Inmates- 7 Guard- 1 Subtotal: 8 48 66 December 13: Southwest Borah High School- 120 Individuals- 2 Subtotal: 122 600 593 December: Southwest Individuals on their own- 2 20 78 December 15: Magic Valley Individuals and families- 10 40 23 December 15: Southwest Centennial High School- 20 Les Bois Soccer- 15 MHAFB Outdoor Recreation- 2 Boy Scouts- 5 Individuals and families- 48 Subtotal: 90 490 350 December 12: Southwest Fish and Game Region Personnel- 343 pounds Grand Totals: 984 4,792 3,501