07/26/07 Fires destroy Idaho rangeland

It's a massive fire by anyone's criteria. The Murphy Complex southwest of Twin Falls has burned more than 562 thousand acres and forced the evacuation of several Idaho and Northern Nevada towns and ranches. The rangeland fire has so far blackened 878 square miles and has destroyed grazing land for thousands of cattle and sheep in addition to the vegetation and habitat for species like sage grouse. Land managers and state agriculture officials met in Boise this week to talk about ways to help Twin Falls and Owyhee County ranchers care for and feed their livestock. Idaho Cattle Association executive director Josh Tewalt says there are a couple of efforts underway. TEWALT "Targeting assistance which includes emergency haying and grazing on CRP ground. The other focus of our effort is on trying to identify flexibility with the federal land management agencies to find places to go for these cows." Since the early part of this month Idaho has been the center of national wildfire activity with 17 major blazes still burning and more than 13 hundred square miles of range and forest charred. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott