Idaho Offering 15 Salvage Logging Sales Following Wildfires

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho officials are offering 15 salvage logging sales following a summer of wildfires and are looking at recovering $13.7 million in firefighting costs for two blazes possibly started due to negligence.

Officials with the Idaho Department of Lands told the Idaho Land Board Tuesday that the salvage sales total about 88 million board feet. The 15 salvage logging sales are the most state officials could recall. Such sales produce about 50 to 60 percent of the revenue of what would have been expected had the trees not burned.

The Idaho Land Board also went into a closed session to discuss potential litigation to recover firefighting costs from two northern Idaho fires. Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter after the meeting said state officials are investigating how successful such an attempt would be.