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Rangeland commission warns federal grants are on hold, highlights education and virtual‑fencing pilots
Summary
Gretchen Hyde, executive director of the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission, told the Senate Agricultural Affairs Committee that federal grant agreements with BLM, NRCS and the Forest Service are on hold, and she highlighted education programs, virtual‑fencing pilots and outreach metrics including more than 123 "Life on the Range" videos.
Gretchen Hyde, executive director of the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission, delivered the commission’s annual legislative report and said the commission faces uncertainty because recently negotiated grant agreements with federal partners — the Bureau of Land Management, the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the U.S. Forest Service — are currently on hold.
“We had grant agreements with Bureau of Land Management, with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the Forest Service, and right now they’re all on hold,” Hyde told the committee. She said the commission anticipates a drop in grant funding and that change will affect the commission’s education programs.
Hyde described the commission’s primary funding sources and program work. The commission is funded through state and federal grazing allotment assessments at 10¢ per animal‑unit month (AUM) for current active use and a private land category at 2¢ per dry‑grazed acre if landowners file an affidavit of exemption, she said. Hyde emphasized that wildfire and reduced grazing directly affect assessment revenue because funding is tied to active use.
On outreach, Hyde said the commission reached over 15,000 students last year through programs including the I ROAM educational trailer and that its Life on the Range video series has more than 123 videos with over 2.5 million views; she identified the commission’s Care Share recreational‑user campaign and school programs as core education activities.
Hyde also highlighted technology pilots and partnerships. She described virtual fencing tested on public allotments in partnership with the University of Idaho and federal land managers and said virtual fencing helps ranchers monitor animals in real time and manage grazing following wildfire. Hyde described another partnership using targeted sheep grazing to manage cheatgrass invasion in collaboration with Boise State University and the Forest Service.
Committee members asked questions about wildfire risk, grazing as a fuels‑management tool, and program reach; Hyde said rangeland fuels management and water access are limiting variables and reiterated that funding uncertainty from grant partners threatens the commission’s education work going forward.
Hyde provided audited financial statements and said she would share video links and additional materials with committee staff.
