The Keystone Concept

03/11/2024

We ❤️ to see the links between climate & health being recognized and talked about in Idaho. If you’re interested to learn more, consider joining Grand Rounds at on Nov 12 at noon - “Climate Change & Human Health: What is the Connection?” with Dr Kathryn Conlon, register at LINK IN BIO

Several years ago, we helped to develop a non-profit org, , that is invested in advancing forward this important conversation. We’d encourage you to connect and engage with Idaho Clinicians for Climate & Health (ICCH) as we advance projects and programs that address the issues and pursue the opportunities to improve healthcare systems and empower community action.

03/11/2024

The Urban & Community Forestry Society’s City Trees Magazine Nov/Dec 2024 issue includes an informative case study from Memphis, TN on urban and community wood reuse. Check out the full article at: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/1528673-november-december-2024/11?

Thank you , & for the invitation to collaborate on this piece. And thank you , and all the key stakeholders and investors advancing forward to serve community needs in Memphis, TN. This story and the lessons learned are valuable for those of us across the 🇺🇸 to learn and inform our efforts to help ♻️ local urban & community 🌳🌲 🌳.

30/10/2024

Our 🇺🇸 Democracy is critical for the health and resilience of our communities, our environment and our people. Please join us in “Unlock Democracy with Lime”.

During these final few days of the 2024 🇺🇸 Election Season, is giving free rides to the polls from October 29 (Vote Early Day) to November 5 (Election Day).

Use code VOTE2024 in the Lime app to take a free e-scooter or e-bike ride to and from your polling place.

Lack of transportation should never be a barrier to making your voice heard. Share code VOTE2024 with your friends, family, and community.

28/10/2024

Sharing a volunteer tree planting opportunity organized by our friends & partners & .s.forestservice in the Wood River Valley.

Sign-up at 🔗 IN BIO to join a crew of volunteers to plant forest 🌲🌲🌲 in the burn scar of the 2022 Ross Fork Fire near Smiley Creek, Idaho.

📸

26/10/2024

A few weeks ago our team received a phone call from one of our longtime volunteers & who lives on The Bench in Boise. She and her husband are beginning a major remodel that requires the removal of 2 large silver maple 🌳 trees 🌳 on the property. Their wish is to have one of these trees salvaged and made into furniture for their new home.

We would like to thank this local homeowner & friend for picking up the 📞 — Thanks to quick action from several of our partners invested in rescuing trees from the landfill through the Idaho Chapter of , we were able to salvage this beautiful large silver maple tree.

Tom with coordinated a successful felling of the tree by the crew at , then brought in their crane to help load the large log onto a trailer which was taken to where it will be milled into slabs and kiln dried before being crafted into furniture for the home by . That is what we like to call a "full circle" story that was made possible thanks to years of relationship building among these dedicated partners.

Stay tuned for updates on the 2nd life for this old silver maple by following our friends at & .

26/10/2024

And just like that, after 12+ months of planning & partnership building with the SW Idaho All Lands Partnership team, we’re off and running!

On Oct 23rd, announced a $20.7 million investment in the SW Idaho Forest Fund to support the work of the Partnership - learn more at 🔗 IN BIO.

And on Oct 25th, a contract thinning crew started cutting on the first All-Lands Partnership pilot project in a strategic 70-acre parcel within the Clear Creek community adjacent to .s.forestservice Boise National Forest.

This is just the beginning of this important Partnership, but the foundations of this team are strong and we’re all ready to get to work!

24/10/2024

Our team spent the last 2 days in Boise, ID & in and adjacent communities with over 30 invested stakeholders from local, state & federal public agencies and private companies. This team is deeply committed to increasing the pace & scale of active forest management to improve forest health & resilience and to help these communities live with the impacts of fire in these landscapes. Learn more about the important work of this dedicated SW Idaho All Lands Partnership team: https://idall-lands.org/.

Special thank you to & .s.forestservice for leading this effort, to all the dedicated agencies, companies & staff who are contributing to the partnership and to the teams at & for keeping our team fed with good & healthy food during our time together.

05/10/2024

At 4am on Friday, October 4th the Valley Fire ignited tinder dry rangeland in the Boise Foothills. Yesterday’s weather conditions included a record high temp of over 88 degrees and strong gusty winds (📸 taken from Boise’s North End & Ada County Fairgrounds on Friday afternoon & evening).

This morning the fire continues to burn in rangeland and forestland, it has threatened several neighborhoods along the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) within Ada and Boise Counties and at 8,000 acres the Valley🔥remains uncontained and uncontrolled. Local, regional and national firefighting resources from multiple agencies are hard at work, building fireline and protecting local neighborhoods currently in the path of the fire ….. all after a very long, hot and dry summer fire season that has stretched our firefighting resources and that continues to burn deep into our fall season.

These current 🌲🔥 🌲 conditions and the long 🥵 summer fire season are a reminder why has invested in supporting the SW Idaho All Lands Partnership, a stakeholder driven, regional initiative brought together by .s.forestservice & to increase the pace & scale of forest health treatments to help our landscapes and communities live with fire. Learn more about this effort at LINK IN BIO.

04/10/2024

We had a fun & informative week with these dedicated pro’s who are advancing a suite of programs that cultivate the full circle of forestry in California’s Capital City. Thank you & !

11/09/2024

Our , & team had a fun few days in the Wood River Valley with this team of dedicated local residents, companies & non-profit organizations invested in the health & resilience of the region’s forests and communities. We had the opportunity to tour the downtown revitalization project on Main Street in , discussed our 2025 on-the-ground projects & trained several dedicated volunteers on tree inventory using TreePlotter tools developed by .

Special thank you to & for hosting us and to our dedicated tree inventory volunteers from , , , , & Hailey Tree Board.

09/09/2024

Follow along with us this week as our team is in Idaho’s beautiful Wood River Valley to: check-up on our 2024 funded projects in , , & ; develop plans with project stakeholders to fund more on-the-ground work in 2025; and host a regional community tree inventory training. 🙏 .s.forestservice & for funding this important community forestry work in the region.

08/09/2024

29/08/2024

This recent video production highlights the “Wood For Life” Program within 3 .s.forestservice National Forests in Idaho (Payette, Boise & Sawtooth NF) where we’re currently engaged in collaborative projects: https://tr.ee/FrVPw6jzI4.

This is one of many examples where leadership & staff from .s.forestservice & are teaming up with local & regional stakeholders to increase the pace & scale of forest health treatments throughout the region - building a more healthy & resilient future together.

29/08/2024

Just your friendly reminder that US News & Wold Report thinks we are pretty cool too with a #2 ranking!

"Downtown Boise is booming. New construction is all over the area."

"Boise's residents may spend their days enjoying nature, but they fill their evenings dining on locally sourced cuisine, enjoying an opera performance and sipping delicious cocktails."

Just a few lines from the report that ring true for this amazing metro we get to call home! Read the full report and article here: https://realestate.usnews.com/places/rankings/best-places-to-live

17/08/2024

is launching a new composting program to augment their recycling & sustainability programs at the Saturday Market!

These kind & informative volunteers are helping market goers properly dispose of their 🚮 to reduce waste & ♻️ compostable material that will be made into compost thru a partnership between & .

17/08/2024

We’d like to wish our friends GOOD LUCK as they launch their 2024 / season with Brundage Blastoff at tomorrow.

16/08/2024

The .communities.leadership 2025 Cohort Application is open until September 2, 2024: available at LINK IN BIO.

The 2025 Institute begins with virtual sessions in January & concludes with our in-person session March 31 - April 2 in Boise, Idaho thanks to a partnership with , & Boise State Hazard & Climate Resilience Institute.

16/08/2024

A quick look back on our busy & fun spring and summer season with : planning for trees in transportation projects with ; celebrating our season with a contributing member float down the main payette; measuring the impacts of urban heat through a partnership with , Center for Regenerative Solutions, & ; planting 235,000 forest seedlings in for the Elaine Clegg City of Trees Challenge; welcoming .communities.leadership to Boise & ; celebrating sustainability & community impact with our friends and partners in the in-profit community , , & .

What a great season! If you’d like to join the fun, connect with our team at and consider joining us for what will be a busy fall tree planting season.

08/08/2024

This Spring, & (Davey Resource Group/DRG) published our Plymouth, MN Community Forestry Roadmap. This collaborative planning effort between TKC, DRG and staff and leadership at helps envision a future where Plymouth’s Community Forestry Program “adds quality to life” in alignment with Plymouth’s CIVIC values.

Check out the roadmap & the opportunities ahead for Plymouth at LINK IN BIO.

02/08/2024

We’d like to share this opportunity for a qualified team to support the .s.forestservice, & National Urban & Community Forestry Advisory Council (NUCFAC) in development of a National Urban & Community Action Plan for 2027-2037.

Over the course of the past 10 years, the current national action plan and subsequent partnerships & work have drastically improved urban & community forestry programs’ ability to serve community needs across the 🇺🇸 to influence: climate action, health & resilience, urban heat reduction, infrastructure improvements, equity & so much more. We need a great team to envision our next 10 years for this essential national program, the industries invested in its success and the communities and people who rely on it.

Review the full RFP at: https://grants.gov/search-results-detail/355526.

Submit your proposal before the Sept 13, 2024 deadline at grants.gov.

31/07/2024

Today is the final day of July, with over 2 months remaining in the traditional wildfire season 🔥 🌲 🔥 🌲 for the PNW 🇺🇸. We have multiple active fires burning all across our region, a reminder about the importance of investing in forest health & resilience in our local communities.

In-order to improve forest health conditions and build health and resilience in our communities, collaboration between agencies, organizations & stakeholders is critical.

Learn more about the Southwest Idaho All-Lands Partnership at: https://idall-lands.org/.

The Keystone Concept has joined National Forest Foundation, U.S. Forest Service & dozens of agencies, organizations and community stakeholders who are collaborating, thru this Partnership, to increase the pace & scale of forest health activities across this landscape. We’re excited to be actively engaged in this important work.

25/07/2024

This iconic view represents so many things to Idahoans & visitors from across the 🌍 …. from epic skiing ⛷️ in the winter to bomber mountain biking 🚵 in the summer, adventure in the great outdoors is central to this landscape and the people who live, work & play here.

We’ll let you in on a little secret: this beautiful place doesn’t sustain itself alone …. Key investors & stakeholders, including: , .s.forestservice, invest time, 💰 and resources into sustaining this resilient landscape that can continue to provide adventures in nature for current & future generations.

🙏 to the communities, companies, organizations & people who invest in this beautiful place ….. it is worth it!

23/07/2024

Boise, Idaho is experiencing a record-breaking 🥵 heat wave that is bringing with it dangerous conditions across our landscapes and in our cities. Across the region, wildfires 🔥 🌲 🔥 are threatening our communities and poor air quality is creating dangerous health conditions. Days like today help to validate our decision to invest in partnerships & collaborations that engage our communities in effective climate action. We must act now to influence policies & practices that help us build a healthier and more resilient future.

18/07/2024

Not a bad place for an afternoon office space at Julia Davis Park in . Thank you for planning & caring for these wonderful parks & greenspaces across the City of Trees. They provide critical respite on these 🥵 summer days.

08/07/2024

Applications are now live for the 2025 .communities.leadership, co-hosted by & Hazard & Climate Resilience Institute!

Are you ready to advance your leadership skills to the next-level and enhance your impact personally, within your organization & for your community?

Learn more about the Institute & apply to join an existing community of over 100 leaders from across the 🇺🇸 who have embarked on this leadership journey together: https://www.greencommunitiesleadership.org/2025-application.