Educational Programs and Workshops

Check our calendar for specific dates.

2018-2019 Strengthening Forest Stewardship Skills events are designed to help family forest owners and those who work with them strengthen their forest stewardship skills.

NOTE: North-Central Idaho Forest Stewardship Workshops.

Workshops offered through UI Extension, Clearwater County are not set until January. Worship information will be published in the UI Extension, Clearwater County January newsletter. Anyone interested in these programs for 2019 should contact the UI Extension, Clearwater County office at clearwater@uidaho.edu or 208-476-4434 and request to be added to their distribution list. List members will receive the January newsletter as well as all program brochures and announcements for the year.

Forestry Shortcourse

Enriches family forest owners' basic understanding of forest planning, forest ecology, silviculture, insects, disease, wildlife habitat, taxes and other forest stewardship topics (two U of I credits available) (IMFS).

• Sandpoint (PDF), Wednesdays, June 12, 19, 26 and July 10, 17, 24, 2019 from 9 a.m. to noon.

Identifying Idaho's Trees (PDF)

Learn to identify Idaho’s native forest trees and some common forest shrubs. Sessions may be indoors or in the field.

• Coeur d’Alene, Monday, Feb. 4, 2019 from 6-8 p.m.
• St. Maries, Thursday, April 11, 2019 from 1-4 p.m.

Landscaping for Fire Prevention

Forest homeowners learn how to make their home site less likely to burn and easier for firefighters to access in the event of a local forest fire.

• Sessions of this program can be scheduled for large groups.

Forestry Cost Sharing (PDF)

Learn from forest owners, foresters, and agencies about programs that help forest owners pay for thinning, planting and other forest improvements.

• Coeur d’Alene, Saturday, March 2, 2019 (8:30 a.m. to noon)

Backyard Forests (PDF)

Learn how to apply basic forestry concepts to “home landscape” forests.

• Coeur d’Alene, Monday, March 4, 2019 (6-8 p.m.)

Natural Resource Planning for Rural Landowners

Good planning helps achieve the goals you've set for your property. This program will use the American Tree Farm planning template to go over the basics for developing your own natural resource or forest plan for your property. To register please contact the UI Extension, Clearwater County office at 208-476-4434.

• Orofino, Thursday, March 14, 2019 

Ten Acres and a Dream (PDF)

Forest owners and other landowners will learn about the basics of rural land ownership and paths to caring for and generating income from small parcels.

• Bonners Ferry, Saturday, March 16, 2019 (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)

Planning and Conducting your Own Timber Sale

Gives forest landowners the basics on finding a logging contractor; contracts; marketing logs; marking timber, roads, and skid trails; and many other details for conducting a successful timber sale on their property. To register please contact the UI Extension, Clearwater County office at 208-476-4434.

• Orofino, Thursday, March 21, 2019

Family Forest Owners/Managers Conference (PDF)

Focuses on topics of interest to family forest owners and serves as the annual meeting for the Idaho Forest Owners Association and Idaho Tree Farm program. For more information, go to the Idaho Forest Owners Association website at: http://www.idahoforestowners.org/

• Moscow, March 24-26, 2019

Safely Using Herbicides in Forestry

Learn how to assess the need for herbicides and safely and effectively use them to ensure reforestation and control invasive species in forests.

• Moscow, Friday, March 29, 2019

Successful Tree Planting (PDF)

Features 2-3 hours indoors on reforestation planning and planting techniques followed by field activities.

• Plummer, Saturday, April 6, 2019 (1-5 p.m.)

UI Experimental Forest Field Day

See current, applied, University of Idaho Experimental Forest research on thinning, intensive regeneration, prescribed fire, logging technology, etc.

• Princeton, Saturday, May 4, 2019

Forest Stewardship/Landowners Field Day

Tour forest management practices implemented by multiple family forest owners, while interacting with forestry professionals and landowners.

• Moscow, Thursday, May 23, 2019
• McCall, Friday, July 26, 2019

Weed ID Field Tour

Learn from expert weed scientist Rich Old how to identify many of our most important invasive weeds in the field along with information on their biology and how to control them.

• Kendrick, Friday, May 31, 2019

Forest Insect and Disease Field Day

Participants will learn directly from forest entomologists and pathologists on how to identify and address forest insect and disease threats to timber-stand productivity.

• Kamiah, Thursday, June 20, 2019

Pruning to Restore White Pine

Covers disease cycles and identification and pruning methods to reduce western white pine mortality from blister rust.

• Priest Lake, Friday, June 21, 2019

Thinning and Pruning Field Day (PDF)

Includes 2-3 hours indoors, followed by a hands-on field tour to learn about forest growth, forest genetics, thinning and pruning (IMFS).

• Sandpoint, Saturday, June 22, 2019

Forest landowners Peer Learning Field Tour

Learn from your neighbors who are managing their forestland's for timber production and other resources. We will be visiting local forest landowners and learning from their management experience as well as discussing options for forest management.

• Cottonwood, Friday, June 28, 2019

Measuring Your Trees (PDF)

Participants learn how to measure species composition, density and other forest characteristics to better inform management decisions (IMFS).

• Sandpoint, Saturday, July 13, 2019

Forest Insects and Disease Field Day (PDF)

A full day of first-hand contact with insects and diseases that affect forest growth and health, with discussions of related management strategies (IMFS).

• Coeur d’Alene, Friday, July 26, 2019

Restoring Idaho Streams

Learn about stream restoration fundamentals, as well as simple and elaborate techniques to improve stream. health, function and stability.

• Moscow, Friday, Aug. 16, 2019

Off the Grid 2019

Highlights emerging mobile data technology in natural resources for situational awareness, communication, real-time positioning and wearable technology.

• Coeur d’Alene, Oct. 24-25, 2019

Idaho Master Forest Stewards receive over 70 hours of training, much of which consists of selected existing UI Extension programs many Idaho forest owners may have already completed (credit is given for previous attendance). Training includes several of the workshops listed in the 2018-2019 Strengthening Forest Stewardship Skills calendar, indicated by (IMFS)at the end of the event description. But the program also includes new indoor and outdoor educational experiences designed to take participants to the next level of managing their forest and helping other forest owners to do the same. These four one-day “IMFS core sessions” are held at forested sites throughout northern Idaho to expose participants to a range of forest ecosystems.

Learn more about becoming a certified Idaho Master Forest Steward at the University of Idaho Extension Forestry Panhandle website or by calling Chris Schnepf at the University of Idaho Extension office in Kootenai County at 208-446-1680. 

Idaho Master Forest Stewards 2019

• Core 1: Twinlow Camp (near Rathdrum, ID), Saturday, April 27, 2019.
• Core 2: Priest River Exp. Forest (near Priest River, ID), Saturday, June 8, 2019.
• Core 3: UI Sandpoint Center for Organic Agriculture, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2019.
• Core 4: Shoshone Base Camp (near Pritchard, ID), Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019.

   

• IMFS Spring Gathering, Sandpoint, Friday, May 17, 2019.
• IMFS Fall Gathering, Moscow, Friday, Sept. 27, 2019.

The Logger Education to Advance Professionalism (LEAP) program is a nationally acclaimed University of Idaho Extension program. It began at the request of loggers who want to improve their skills, document and market their services and communicate more effectively with family forest owners and managers. Credits are available to participants to fulfill continuing education requirements of the Idaho Pro-Logger Program.

Workshop flyer (PDF); includes registration form.

• Moscow, April 9-11, 2019 Register online at UI Marketplace (an additional $4 fee is added to process online registrations)
• Coeur d’Alene, April 16-18, 2019 Register online at UI Marketplace (an additional $4 fee is added to process online registrations)

LEAP Update is an annual opportunity for loggers to build on LEAP with in-depth training on forestry topics. The program also helps loggers meet Idaho Pro-Logger BMP training and continuing education requirements. For more information on the Idaho Pro-Logger program and credit requirements, contact the Associated Logging Contractors of Idaho (ALC) at 208-667-6473.

The program is also eligible for Society of American Foresters CFE credits — for information contact Chris Schnepf at 208-446-1680.

Check-in for each of session opens at 7:15 a.m. Programs begin at 8 a.m. and end at 3:30 p.m. and include a morning and afternoon break and a catered lunch (sponsored by Associated Logging Contractors of Idaho).

You may register by mailing in the LEAP Update (PDF) flyer with payment OR online (details for each session below). Online registration(s) include an additional $3 processing fee.

• Lewiston, Tuesday, March 19, 2019. Register online at: www.uidaho.edu/LEAPupdate-lewiston
• Coeur d’Alene, Wednesday, March 20, 2019. Register online at: www.uidaho.edu/LEAPupdate-panhandle
• Bonners Ferry, Thursday, March 21, 2019. Register online at: www.uidaho.edu/LEAPupdate-panhandle