Kari Kostka

Legislative Priorities

March 13, 2024

Idaho’s state legislature convenes each January to set new policy and budgets for the state. It can be an exciting and daunting time of year, particularly when Idaho politics are severely divided and frequently contentious. Misunderstanding and misinformation often characterize the debate around conservation issues. As a trusted source of credible science for policymakers, The Nature Conservancy engages with state legislators and agencies to help inform a better understanding of conservation and natural resource issues and to help protect the policies and funding that make conservation in Idaho possible.

This year, TNC policy and government relations staff are again focused on protecting landowners’ ability to utilize conservation easements and other tools to protect Idaho’s important places, wildlife habitat and working lands. We are also supporting funding for state programs aimed at improving water quality, expanding and enhancing outdoor recreation and advancing new opportunities for pollution reduction projects across the state that address climate change and help local communities. No less critical, we must continue to be diligent in defending against proposals that would limit our ability to move projects forward, such as renewable energy development.

Wins at the state level are difficult to come by, but they are possible when we show up at the table. We lead with a nonpartisan, collaborative approach to ensure conservation is considered in the state’s decision-making. If we fail to engage in the legislative process, we run the risk of losing gains already made. For these reasons, TNC continues, session after session, to defend what we have and to work toward a better Idaho in the future.

The Nature Conservancy in Idaho visits Capitol Hill

November 15, 2023

Staff and trustees from The Nature Conservancy in Idaho recently visited Washington, D.C.—alongside a contingent of nearly 400 TNC staff and trustees from across the U.S.—to advocate for nature in federal policy and funding decisions. TNC participated in 215 meetings with Republican and Democrat leaders during our annual Advocacy Day event to talk about the environmental challenges facing our states, such as extreme drought coupled with the impacts of Hurricane Hilary that damaged crops in Idaho and beyond. It was also an opportunity to remind our elected officials that policy makes conservation possible.

In meetings with all four of Idaho’s congressional offices, we discussed key priorities for our state, including bolstering private land conservation programs in the Farm Bill, protecting critical wildlife habitat as proposed in the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act and ensuring our conservation programs get the funding they need through the federal appropriations process. Beyond sharing TNC’s policy priorities, we were able to highlight the impact federal programs and funding are already having in Idaho.

As a leading conservation organization, TNC brings important insights to our elected officials.  Idaho trustee John MacCarthy said of the congressional meetings, “It’s more of a partnership than just asking for something. It feels good knowing TNC can offer help too.” These meetings and relationships are critical for making our local issues known and helping to shape the future of conservation.

Your voice matters too. Join us and speak up for nature by letting your federal and state representatives know you care about taking climate action and protecting the diversity of life on Earth.

Response to Quagga Mussels in the Snake River

Updated October 2, 2023

On September 18th the presence of quagga mussels at larval life stages in the Centennial Waterfront Park area of the Snake River was confirmed by Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA).

Quagga mussels are a quick-spreading invasive, non-native species that pose a major threat to Idaho’s fisheries, water supplies and systems, wildlife habitat, agriculture and human communities. The microscopic larvae spread between bodies of water by live wells, bait buckets, bilge water, waders, watercraft and anything else that moves from one body of water to another. They present perhaps the greatest risk to our economy and recreation of any invasive species, and Idahoans must do everything possible to prevent their spread and eradicate them if possible.

In addition to potentially devastating impacts to Idaho’s aquatic plants, fish and wildlife, quagga could quickly spread and threaten the entire Columbia River Basin and lead to hundreds of millions of dollars in actual and indirect costs. The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has worked with ISDA and partners for more than 20 years to prevent the introduction and spread of quagga mussels and other invasive species. Those efforts have been successful largely due to the foresight and vigilance of Idahoans. Now for the first time, the State of Idaho has initiated their rapid response plan to contain and control the threat of a quagga mussel infestation.

Unfortunately, the most effective treatment available will cause significant mortality of fish and other aquatic life in the 6-mile treatment area from the Twin Falls pool above Shoshone Falls downstream to Centennial Park. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game is not anticipating impacts to mammals or birds within the treatment area based on the proposed treatment plan. For more information see the ISDA Snake River Quagga Mussel Treatment Factsheet.

TNC firmly believes that the long-term benefits of preventing the spread of quagga mussels across Idaho and the Pacific Northwest far outweigh the short-term side effects of the treatment. Taking no action is not an option―the stakes are too high. We are confident the agencies overseeing the response are taking necessary, urgent action and are doing so with the best science, planning and oversight available.

Successful containment and control of the infestation requires everyone to do their part. We implore you to continue to be diligent in the prevention of spreading quagga mussels by following the guidance provided by ISDA and adhering to water access closures. For the most up to date information please visit Idaho.gov/quagga. 

This Monumental Opportunity Will Only Be as Great as Our Willingness to Seize It

March 21, 2023

Following the largest ever U.S. action on climate, it's time to opt in and shape a better future for Idaho. 

Recent federal policy wins have shifted our collective course on climate action, and positive momentum is building—momentum on a path to innovate new technologies, leverage the carbon-storing powers of nature, incentivize cleaner energy and build community resilience.

With passage of bills like the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Inflation Reduction Act, never-before-seen levels of federal funding are now available for climate and conservation. The Inflation Reduction Act alone includes nearly $370 billion in clean energy and climate investments over the next 10 years and will make significant strides toward meeting the United States’ commitment of 50% emissions reductions by 2030. The package includes $30 billion in incentives for solar, wind and battery manufacturing in the U.S., $60 billion for low-income communities that bear a disproportionate share of pollution, $20 billion to support climate-smart agriculture practices, and $7.6 billion to conserve and restore forests and coastal habitats to protect communities.

In Idaho, this could mean key investments with broad impact. For example, an additional $700 million is slated for the Forest Legacy Program, which has been incredibly successful in North Idaho and is vital for conserving working timberlands, rural economies and connected wildlife corridors. An additional $1.4 billion will go toward the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program, which has made possible the conservation of working ranches and rangelands across the state for the benefit of people and fish and wildlife species like salmon and pronghorn. And dozens of new programs and funding are now on the table for programs that can help key Idaho sectors like transportation and agriculture reduce emissions and could even help prevent catastrophic wildfires. These investments could create hundreds—even thousands—of good-paying jobs for Idahoans in all parts of the state.

In many instances, new federal funding will be allocated through formula grants to states based on population or other metrics. This means funds are specifically set aside for Idaho—should the state elect to approve applicable programs and spending. For example, the State of Idaho has $3.9 million available through the State Energy Program for state-led strategic energy planning and initiatives focused on priorities such as energy security, resiliency and emergency preparedness. There are also new opportunities for wildfire preparedness and resiliency, land and water conservation, natural climate solutions, renewable energy and more.

Success will require Idaho’s leaders and entities like The Nature Conservancy, along with other nonprofits, state and local agencies and Tribes, working together to implement programs. Federal agencies intend to work in large part through new and existing partnerships, innovative agreements and contractors to get funding on the ground. With proven solutions in hand and long-standing state and federal agency relationships, TNC is well positioned to help put expertise and funding on the ground.

It is also important to keep in mind that many federal grant programs require non-federal matching funds. As we seek to increase application of these programs and new federal funding, the need for private donations and other funding sources increases as well. This is a critical moment for leveraging private philanthropy to scale impact.

For climate action and new federal funding to touch down here—for the benefit of Idaho and Idahoans—we need support and action from Governor Little, state administrative agencies and the state legislature. Idaho legislators are again considering where to direct an unprecedented state tax surplus and seeking solutions to pressing Idaho issues like drought and water shortages and the threat of wildfire. State and private funds can position Idaho to leverage new federal dollars and address these critical needs at a much greater level.

We know today some new federal funding is already available, and more will be available soon. We know federal guidance is lacking in places, and processes can be complicated. We know capacity restraints limit bold and ambitious new strategies and programs. But we also know there has never been an opportunity—at even a remotely similar scale—to invest in our state and our future in this way.

Can Idaho lawmakers act in the best interest of Idaho? Will Idaho choose to complement federal investment and accelerate natural climate solutions and technology innovations? Can we set Idaho on a positive path toward greater climate resiliency for future generations? It’s up to Idaho to meet this moment.

Policy Is a Pathway to Long-term Solutions

March 15, 2022

Policy and advocacy work can be difficult to put a finger on. The impact is not always immediately visible—especially compared to TNC’s work on the ground—but our policy work is the bedrock for much of this success. Federal conservation programs and public funding sources allow us to be more ambitious and work at a scale not possible through private funding alone. 

Passage of the Great American Outdoors Act in 2020, for example, provided full and permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), or $900 million annually—for the first time in the fund’s more than 50-year history. LWCF funds a host of programs, including the Forest Legacy Program, which has accounted for the conservation of more than 100,000 acres in northern Idaho. These projects keep working lands working, support local timber economies, and help keep migration corridors intact, among many other benefits.  

New federal funding through vehicles like the recent Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) will be instrumental in scaling up other areas of TNC’s work, such as our prescribed fire pilot program featured in this newsletter. There is tremendous interest for TNC to greatly expand this model across the state and the IIJA will likely provide much of the funding needed to do so. 

We need solutions that address local challenges and fit the needs of Idahoans. It’s why we’re talking about policies to address drought and wildfire, and policies to leverage the carbon storage potential of our agricultural and forested lands. And, above all, we need durable policy that will outlast swings in political leadership to ensure we’re on a path for long-term change.

Whether it is our work making a difference on the ground, in the policy realm, or through partnerships, we couldn’t do it without you.