|
West |
Arizona |
California |
Colorado |
Idaho |
Montana |
New Mexico |
Nevada |
Oregon |
Utah |
Washington |
Wyoming
Idaho Summary
Below you will find county-by-county maps and tables that illustrate the data in this study.
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| Click on chart for a larger version below. |
Our research found that:
- Of the 11 western states, Idaho has the fifth largest area of undeveloped, forested private land bordering fire-prone public lands, and ranks sixth among western states in the amount of forested land where homes have already been built next to public lands.
- Idaho has over 2,000 square miles of forested private land that borders public lands, of which 90 percent has not yet been developed.
- Housing in Idaho's wildland urban interface consumes a whopping 7.0 acres per person, compared to the 0.5 acres per person average on other western private lands. Only in Wyoming do people take up more space per person for housing.
- Idaho has 30,026 residences in its wildland urban interface, of which 31 percent are seasonal homes or cabins.
- Idaho ranks seventh among western states in the number of homes built in forested areas next to public wildlands, and sixth in the percentage of those homes that are only seasonally occupied.
In Idaho, existing risk of wildfire (number of square miles of the wildland urban interface with homes now) and potential future risk (number of square miles of wildland interface that remains undeveloped) are both highest in the northern parts of the state. Bonner County, where 8,020 homes are spread across 77 square miles of wildland urban interface, ranks fourth in the West in terms of existing wildfire risk. Shoshone County also has extensive development (more than 20 square miles) near fire-prone wildlands. Northern Idaho has exceptionally high potential risk. Combined, the ten most northern counties in Idaho have more than 1,500 square miles of undeveloped, forested private land adjacent to fire-prone wildlands where homes could likely be built in the future, increasing risks to human life and property as well as the financial burden on taxpayers.
Existing Risk Map - Click to Zoom
Yellow areas on the map illustrate existing development in fire-prone areas (forested areas adjacent public lands that have been developed); all other development is shown in red; public lands are shown in green.
Idaho Summary Statistics |
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 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| West-Wide |
3,290.0 |
20,350.1 |
14.0% |
915,071 |
21.0% |
| Idaho |
211.0 |
1,936.8 |
9.8% |
30,026 |
31.0% |
Top 10 Counties in Idaho Ranked by Existing Risk
Counties are ranked by the number of square miles of developed land in the wildland interface |
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|
|
|
|
|
| Bonner County |
Idaho |
76.7 |
230.5 |
25.0% |
8,020 |
31.0% |
| Shoshone County |
Idaho |
22.9 |
308.9 |
7.0% |
3,605 |
11.0% |
| Kootenai County |
Idaho |
18.9 |
128.5 |
13.0% |
4,818 |
15.0% |
| Boise County |
Idaho |
14.8 |
51.8 |
22.0% |
2,116 |
42.0% |
| Idaho County |
Idaho |
13.0 |
224.8 |
5.0% |
1,192 |
34.0% |
| Boundary County |
Idaho |
11.7 |
119.7 |
9.0% |
784 |
9.0% |
| Clearwater County |
Idaho |
8.8 |
324.9 |
3.0% |
1,242 |
12.0% |
| Benewah County |
Idaho |
6.9 |
112.4 |
6.0% |
601 |
11.0% |
| Fremont County |
Idaho |
6.6 |
15.9 |
29.0% |
1,483 |
87.0% |
| Valley County |
Idaho |
6.0 |
60.2 |
9.0% |
2,213 |
68.0% |
Top 10 Counties in Idaho Ranked by Potential Risk
Counties are ranked by the number of square miles of undeveloped land in the wildland interface. |
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|
|
|
|
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| Clearwater County |
Idaho |
8.8 |
324.9 |
3.0% |
1,242 |
12.0% |
| Shoshone County |
Idaho |
22.9 |
308.9 |
7.0% |
3,605 |
11.0% |
| Bonner County |
Idaho |
76.7 |
230.5 |
25.0% |
8,020 |
31.0% |
| Idaho County |
Idaho |
13.0 |
224.8 |
5.0% |
1,192 |
34.0% |
| Kootenai County |
Idaho |
18.9 |
128.5 |
13.0% |
4,818 |
15.0% |
| Boundary County |
Idaho |
11.7 |
119.7 |
9.0% |
784 |
9.0% |
| Benewah County |
Idaho |
6.9 |
112.4 |
6.0% |
601 |
11.0% |
| Latah County |
Idaho |
1.5 |
105.8 |
1.0% |
135 |
7.0% |
| Valley County |
Idaho |
6.0 |
60.2 |
9.0% |
2,213 |
68.0% |
| Adams County |
Idaho |
5.3 |
52.3 |
9.0% |
267 |
52.0% |
Click on column headers to see all data in the West sorted by that column.
West |
Arizona |
California |
Colorado |
Idaho |
Montana |
New Mexico |
Nevada |
Oregon |
Utah |
Washington |
Wyoming
Headwaters Economics
Mail: P.O. Box 7059, Bozeman MT 59771
Deliveries: 810 N. Wallace Avenue, Suite B, Bozeman MT 59715
Ray Rasker Ph.D. 406.570.7044 | Ben
Alexander 406.599.7423 | Patty Gude 406.599.7425 | Chris Mehl 406.570.8937
Mark Haggerty 406.570.5626 | Julia Haggerty Ph.D. 406.600.1766 | Jeff
van den Noort 406.599.1653
Banner photo is by Ray Rasker.
© 2007 Headwaters Economics Inc. all rights reserved. No part of this work may be copied or reproduced without prior consent.
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