By Idaho GOP Chairwoman Dorothy Moon
This summer, Idaho has once again been reminded of the awesome power of wildfire.
From the devastating Big Grass Fire in Owyhee County to the fires that have scarred central Idaho in recent years, we have watched homes destroyed, livestock lost, wildlife displaced, and entire communities threatened. Families who have worked the land for generations have been forced to evacuate with little more than the clothes on their backs.
For those men and women in harm’s way, this is Armageddon. For politicians, it’s an urgent responsibility.
Governor Brad Little’s emergency declaration and deployment of the Idaho National Guard demonstrate that our state is committed to protecting lives and property. Our firefighters, county officials, and neighbors have shown remarkable courage under impossible conditions.
But bravery alone cannot solve a management problem decades in the making.
Nearly two-thirds of Idaho is owned by the federal government. Many of the lands burning today are managed not by Idahoans, but by distant federal agencies whose policies often fail to reflect realities on the ground. Too often, local communities have watched forests become overgrown, dead timber accumulate, access roads disappear, and routine management become mired in bureaucracy.
When fires inevitably come, they burn hotter, spread faster, and leave behind more than blackened trees. Burned hillsides become unstable. We saw this after the Wapiti fire near Stanley a couple years ago, where damaged watersheds contributed to destructive mudslides, including one just last week. The consequences extend far beyond the fire itself. Tourism suffers. Weddings and family vacations are canceled. Ranching operations are devastated. Local economies pay the price.
Even Idahoans far from the flames are affected. For the past week, much of our state has endured some of the worst air quality in the nation, worsening existing respiratory conditions and creating new health concerns. The impacts of catastrophic wildfires linger long after the flames are extinguished.
The Big Grass Fire has also exposed another challenge: coordination. Local ranchers and county officials pleaded for additional aerial resources while conditions deteriorated by the hour. As large fires burned across Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, critical firefighting resources were stretched dangerously thin. When every minute matters, we cannot afford unnecessary delays or confusion over who has the authority to act.
Idaho has proven that active land management works. Our state-managed lands consistently experience fewer catastrophic fires because they are managed for multiple uses, including responsible timber harvest, grazing, and active stewardship. Here in Idaho we understand that we either log it, graze it, or watch it burn. We should be asking why that same philosophy is so difficult to implement across neighboring federal lands.
No one can prevent every wildfire. Drought, lightning, and extreme weather are facts of life in the West. But we can reduce the severity of these disasters through better forest management, stronger state-federal coordination, and greater trust in the people who live and work on these lands every day.
The people closest to the land are not the problem. They are an essential part of the solution. It is imperative that Idaho has a seat at the table in managing our own future.
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About Dorothy Moon
Dorothy Moon was elected to serve as the chairwoman of the Idaho Republican Party in July of 2022, and reelected in 2024. Moon served three terms in the Idaho Legislature as State Representative for District 8. Moon’s career in public service has focused on the advancement of individual liberties and reducing the size and scope of government.
