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The September 30, 2010 deadline looms for County Commissions across Idaho to make their annual allocations of funds between Title I, II and III funds.  A recent analysis courtesy of Seth Grigg at the Idaho Association of Counties shows that the decline in payments to counties will show wide differences when the payments arrive to Idaho in late 2010 or early 2011.  A complicated formula in the Secure Rural Schools law is the factor driving these changes.

First, let’s look at the table showing the payment received for post-Federal Fiscal Year 2009 and the projected payment for post-FFY 2011:

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Laura Smith at the North Central Idaho RAC reports that it’s that time again to be thinking about RAC projects.  Please share this with your forest partners.  Here is a link to a pre-proposal form (.doc).  Rough draft pre-proposals are due to Laura electronically with a cc to Linda Hinds and Lisa Canaday on October 15. Do not include overhead. Resubmit proposals for multi-year funding.

After pre-proposals are received, they are added to the “Wish” List of FY 11 RAC projects. The list is reviewed by the Clearwater and Nez Perce Forest leadership team. RAC members will review the list at the November 4 meeting in Potlatch. At that meeting RAC members will select a final project proposal due date and agree on additional meeting dates in 2012 for presentations and recommendations for approval and funding.

If you have any questions, please call or email Laura at (208) 983-5143, lasmith@fs.fed.us.

The Central Idaho Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will meet October 7 at 1 p.m. in Salmon; to review proposed projects for possible funding. The meeting will be held at the Public Lands Center 1206 South Challis Street, Salmon, Idaho. The RAC will have about $800,000 in funding for natural resource projects in 2011.

The RAC will review the progress on $1.1 million worth of projects approved for 2010, begin planning for the 2011 project approval process and conduct other business. This will be the first of several meetings held by the RAC over the next five months to select projects for funding made available to Butte, Custer and Lemhi Counties through the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2008. The RAC works closely with the Forest Service to recommend projects that will benefit forest health, fish, wildlife, soils, watersheds and other resources; maintain roads, trails and other infrastructure; or control noxious weeds.

RAC projects must be located on National Forest System Lands in Custer, Lemhi or Butte counties or on other nearby lands if the project will benefit the resources on the National Forests. Projects can be completed by Forest Service personnel, through partnership agreements or by open-bid contracting with individuals and corporations.

The public is welcome to attend the RAC meetings. For more information on the RAC contact RAC Coordinator, Kent Fuellenbach at 208-756-5145.