KVRI gets forestry award
<p>Several local Kootenai Valley Resource Initiative members attended a meeting in Missoula to receive the Regional Forester Honor Award for KVRI, including (left to right) Brad Smith, Dan Dinning, Patty Perry, Ron Abraham, and Sandy Ashworth. Also pictured (to the right): Mary Farnsworth, Idaho Panhandle forest supervisor; and Faye Krugger, Region 1 regional forester.</p>
BONNERS FERRY — Thirteen years of collaboration has enabled Kootenai Valley Resource Initiative to restore and enhance various resources in Boundary County. Their collaboration with the Idaho Panhandle National Forest through out the years earned them the Sustaining Forests and Grasslands Regional Forester Honor Award in October.
“KVRI’s presence and partnership with the Idaho Panhandle National Forest is invaluable,” said Mary Farnsworth, IPNF Supervisor, in her award nomination for KVRI.
“They provide community-based backing and help garner support for projects with other groups and individuals such as environmental groups and the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho.
KVRI has influence with our partners and the community that the USDA Forest Service could never achieve on their own.”
The collaboration between local, state, federal and Tribal programs recently enabled the Twentymile Creek Vegetation Management Project and the Kreist Creek Vegetation Management Project to pass the NEPA process without objections.
Thus the projects can be implemented immediately with no loss of time or money on the costly review of the projects.
KVRI and the Bonners Ferry District are currently planning forthcoming vegetation management projects in Deer Creek, Boulder and Trout-Ball Creek, as well as a Westside Selkirks Burn Project.
During the last 13 years, KVRI has also addressed grizzly bear conservation, fisheries recovery, water quality, wetlands and riparian conservation, wildfire protection and forest restoration.
“This broad view of ecological health makes KVRI one of the first collaborative groups in the nation to embrace an “all lands” approach,” said Farnsworth in the nomination letter.
“It is primarily through the dedicated efforts of KVRI that the Idaho Panhandle NF can attribute a great deal of its success in restoration in the Kootenai River Valley.”