Commissioners declare emergency due to wildfire risk

With temperatures climbing, the weather drying and the fuel load in our forests reaching critical levels, Boundary County Commissioners this morning approved Resolution 2025-10 declaring a local emergency and to serve notice to the federal government that the lack of adequate fire mitigation has put the county at extreme fire risk.

It reads:

A RESOLUTION DECLARING A LOCAL EMERGENCY DUE TO THE HEIGHTENED WILDFIRE RISK IN BOUNDARY COUNTY, IDAHO RESULTING FROM INSUFFICIENT FUELS MITIGATION BY THE UNITED STATES FOREST SERVICE

WHEREAS, Boundary County is located in a region of northern Idaho that is heavily forested, much of which falls under the jurisdiction and management of the United States Forest Service (USFS); and

WHEREAS, the health and safety of Boundary County residents, as well as the preservation of property, infrastructure, natural resources, and economic activities-including timber, agriculture, and recreation-are significantly threatened by the growing risk of catastrophic wildfire; and

WHEREAS, recent assessments, environmental conditions, and observed fuel loads indicate that the accumulation of dead, dry, and overgrown vegetation has reached hazardous levels in many forested areas under federal jurisdiction, particularly in the wildland-urban interface (WUI); and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Forest Service has not adequately conducted fuels reduction, prescribed burns, mechanical thinning, or other necessary mitigation efforts at a scale or pace that meets the current and growing wildfire threat; and

WHEREAS, extreme fire behavior, drought conditions, and delayed federal action have created an imminent threat to public safety, property, and local emergency response capacity in Boundary County; and

WHEREAS, Idaho Code § 46-1011 and § 46-1012 authorize local governments to declare a local disaster emergency when conditions exist that may be beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of the county; and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Boundary County Board of Commissioners, that a Local Emergency is hereby declared effective immediately, due to the high wildfire risk presented by the lack of adequate fuels mitigation on federally managed lands within and adjacent to Boundary County; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this resolution shall serve to:

Formally notify the U.S. Forest Service and other federal partners of the county’s urgent concern and demand for immediate mitigation actions;

Request the assistance of the State of Idaho and federal agencies in addressing this emergency, including expedited fuels treatment, fire suppression planning, and interagency coordination; and

Enable the pursuit of resources and technical support to address the wildfire threat and improve local preparedness.

Adopted as a resolution of the Board of County Commissioners of Boundary County upon a majority vote this second day of June 2025.