southeast idaho
Wildlife Mitigation FundAs part of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) approval for the Husky 1 North Dry Ridge phosphate mine in Southeastern Idaho, the fertilizer company Itafos Conda LLC, contributed approximately $700,000 to the Habitat Mitigation Fund, bringing the total to $889,000. The Fund will be used to pay for projects that protect, conserve, and/or enhance wildlife habitat in Southeastern Idaho, with emphasis on projects in the vicinity of the Husky 1 North Dry Ridge Mine.
Getting Involved
Mitigating Impacts
What is miTIGation
Compensatory mitigation is compensation for remaining unavoidable impacts after all appropriate and practicable avoidance and minimization measures have been applied, by replacing or providing substitute resources or environments (See NEPA 40 C.F.R. § 1508.1(s)).
This is achieved through the restoration, establishment, enhancement, or preservation of resources and their values, services, and functions. Impacts are authorized pursuant to a regulatory or resource management program that issues permits, licenses, or otherwise approves activities.
Also see:
Background on Mitigation Fund
The Habitat Mitigation Fund was created to offset predicted residual impacts to wildlife and wildlife habitat resulting from the Husky 1 North Dry Ridge mining operation.
For more information, click below:
What Drives Us
Mission & Goals
The Habitat Improvement Team (HIT) is a partnership of natural resource, land management, and Tribal trustees, charged with implementing the Southeast Idaho Habitat Mitigation Fund for wildlife conservation & habitat improvement projects in the Project Area. The HIT Committee includes the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, US Forest Service, US Fish & Wildlife Service, US Bureau of Land Management, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, and the Idaho Department of Lands. The HIT will select, fund, implement, and assess the effectiveness of approved projects.
Specific Purpose: The purpose of the HIT is to mitigate impacts to wildlife from phosphate mining associated with the Husky 1 North Dry Ridge Mine Project and remaining funds from the Rasmussen Valley Mine project.
Goals: The HIT’s goals are to select, fund, implement, and assess effectiveness of funded projects.
Bylaws: The HIT bylaws form the guiding document for the Mitigation Fund
Request for Proposal
Proposals accepted April 1st – June 30th
Please DOWNLOAD both the Application Form (PDF) and the Budget Form (Excel) by clicking on the buttons below. Please fill out the forms and email them to eric@sagebrushlandtrust.org.
Budget Form
Previously Funded Projects
Upcoming Events
September 17, 2024
Fall HIT planning meeting.
January 21, 2025
HIT internal kickoff meeting.
March 4, 2025
RFP Q&A meeting. Stakeholders and general public invited. Check in and review changes from kickoff meeting.
April 1, 2025
RFP application period OPENS.
mAY 30, 2025
RFP application period CLOSES.
June 5, 2025
Project proposals available to HIT website.
June 24, 2025
First round (tier 1) of HIT scoring & evaluations: Time & location TBD.
June 25, 2025
Applicants will be notified of the status of their application. Applicants that remain in consideration will be invited to give a presentation to the HIT the week of July 7. Presentations must be prepared in a way that can be shared via video conference.
July 7 - 11, 2025
Presentations from applicants to HIT and follow-up questions: Time & location TBD.
July 28 - August 1, 2025
Project site visits.
August 5, 2025
Final (tier 2) HIT scoring & evaluations.
August 8, 2025
Applicants will be notified of the status of their application. Successful applicants will receive a grant agreement with instructions for reporting and project completion.
September 1, 2025
Funds for selected projects distributed.
Learn
Our Partners
Sagebrush Steppe Land Trust
Sagebrush Steppe Land Trust works with willing landowners in Southeast Idaho to conserve private land by creating tailored agreements, known as conservation easements, to protect land while keeping it in private ownership.
Our mission is the heart of our work: To protect and enhance natural lands, wildlife habitat, and working farms and ranches in Southeast Idaho, now and for future generations.
BLM
The BLM is an agency within the United States Department of Interior that administers nearly 12 million acres of public lands in Idaho for multiple uses.
US Fish & Wildlife Service
The US Fish and Wildlife Service is an agency within the United States Department of Interior. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the oldest federal conservation agency, tracing its lineage back to 1871, and the only agency in the federal government whose primary responsibility is management of fish and wildlife for the American public. The Service helps ensure a healthy environment for people by providing opportunities for Americans to enjoy the outdoors and our shared natural heritage.
US Forest Service
The US Forest Service is an agency within the United States Department of Agriculture that administers over 21 million acres of public lands in Idaho for multiple uses.
Idaho Department of Lands
Idaho Department of Lands manage more than 2.4 million acres of state endowment trust land under a Constitutional mandate to maximize long term financial returns to a number of State institutions, mainly public schools. IDL manages for the public’s benefit Idaho’s public trust lands, the lands beneath Idaho’s navigable waterways including riverbeds and the beds and banks of Idaho’s navigable lakes. IDL provides regulatory oversight of forestry practices in the State and some regulation of Idaho’s mining industry.
Itafos
Itafos is a publicly traded (TSX-V: IFOS) vertically integrated phosphate based fertilizers and specialty products company with an attractive portfolio of long-term and strategic assets located in key agricultural and fertilizer markets worldwide. Itafos is managed by an experienced and diverse team with extensive operations, commercial and financial expertise.
Shoshone-Bannock Tribes
The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of Fort Hall are comprised of the eastern and western bands of the Northern Shoshone and the Bannock, or Northern Paiute, bands. Ancestral lands of both tribes occupied vast regions of land encompassing present-day Idaho, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, and into Canada. The Fort Hall Reservation is located in the eastern Snake River Plain of southeastern Idaho. The Snake River, Blackfoot River, and the American Falls Reservoir border the reservation on the north and northwest.
Idaho Department of Fish and Game
Idaho Fish and Game’s mission is to protect, preserve, perpetuate and manage Idaho’s wildlife resources. A 1938 voter initiative created the Idaho Fish and Game Commission structure that governs the agency today.
Idaho Department of Environmental Quality
Idaho Department of Environmental Quality is a state department created by the Idaho Environmental Protection and Health Act to ensure clean air, water, and land in the state and protect Idaho citizens from the adverse health impacts of pollution. The agency is committed to working in partnership with local communities, businesses, and citizens to identify and implement cost-effective environmental solutions.
how to contact us
Sagebrush Steppe Land Trust
Office
109 N Arthur Ave, Suite 300,
Pocatello, ID 83204
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 1404
Pocatello, ID 83204
Phone
(208) 240-6045 office
(208) 241-4662 cell
eric@sagebrushlandtrust.org