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Rep. Boyle introduces bill aimed at state authority to fight wildfires on federal land; statute-of-limitations debated
Summary
Representative Judy Boyle introduced RS 32,603 after citing multiple wildfires that grew because federal agencies did not suppress small starts; committee introduced the measure after members debated whether civil claims against federal agencies should be time‑barred.
Representative Judy Boyle introduced RS 32,603, a measure she said grew from repeated wildfires that started small on federal land and later burned large areas because federal agencies did not suppress the fires early.
"We investigated the police powers of the state and this is the result," Boyle said, describing the bill as a response to fires in her district that she said burned wildlife and private property.
Boyle told the committee that some small fires on U.S. Forest Service land were not covered by the master agreement that allows the Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) to fight fires on federal land; she said the federal government reimburses the state under a master agreement when state resources respond and that the federal government was "in arrears 4 years to the state of Idaho for paying for fires."
Members questioned the bill’s civil-liability provisions. Representative Skog asked whether a statute of limitations should be included; another member suggested a 10-year limit. Boyle said the Attorney General’s office and the Department of Lands had reviewed the draft and recommended the language as written. Representative Barbieri suggested a narrower limitation specifically for actions against the United States might be worth considering if the bill reaches a hearing.
Representative Barbieri moved to introduce RS 32,603. The committee voted to introduce the resolution. Representative Scogg later asked for a brief recess to prepare a substitute motion; the committee recessed briefly and resumed.
The transcript records discussion about practical implications, including whether rural fire protection associations are allowed onto National Forest lands (Boyle said the Forest Service has historically not recognized rural fire protection forces on national forest land). The committee’s introduction of RS 32,603 sets the measure up for further committee work where the statute-of-limitations question and federal‑state reimbursement details may be revisited.
