Idaho committee backs bill to let state mobilize loggers, pursue federal cost recovery for early wildfire suppression

House Bill 389, which would authorize the governor to order Idaho state resources to suppress small wildfires on federal land and direct the attorney general to seek recovery of suppression costs from the federal government, was moved out of the House Resources and Conservation Committee on a voice vote after supporters described recent catastrophic wildfire seasons in Idaho.

Proponent Representative Judy Boyle, sponsor of the bill, told the committee HB 389 arose from an interim federalism committee review of last year’s fire season and said the measure is intended to let the state act early to prevent small fires from growing. “If it affects the health, safety, and lives of our citizens, then it's within our power to do something,” Boyle said, referencing the state’s “police powers” cited in committee handouts.

Why it matters: supporters said the state’s earlier intervention could prevent the large, costly fires that have damaged watersheds, livestock and homes across Idaho. Several witnesses described last summer’s Wapiti, Lava and Paddock fires and argued that faster…