On Earth Day, Boise-area leaders plant pollinators, commit to new environmental goals
Idaho community leaders teamed up to plant native pollinator plants at Chief Eagle Eye Reserve in Boise in honor of Earth Day.
It was part of two larger environmental efforts the city has joined: The Treasure Valley Pollinator Project, sponsored by the Ada Soil and Water Conservation District, and the Campaign for Nature 30x30 initiative. Leaders of the Shoshone-Bannock and Shoshone-Paiute tribes helped with the planting, as did city and district officials, and members of the Idaho National Guard.
The Campaign for Nature 30x30 initiative is a global campaign to conserve at least 30% of land and water all over the world by the year 2030. Mayor Lauren McLean announced Thursday that the city would be participating in the efforts in several ways locally.
By 2030, the city’s goals include:
- Increasing actively manage native habitat areas in park sites by 30%.
- Raising $10 million to protect land in the Boise foothills in addition to the $20 million the city has already raised through levies.
- Increasing tree canopy by 30%.
- Managing 30% of open space as native habitats “using science-based land management actions to build resistant, resilient ecosystems in the Boise Foothills and along the Boise River.”
The Treasure Valley Pollinator Project, meanwhile, aims to both increase pollinator habitat and raise awareness of the habitat’s value. The goal of the project is to have 64,000 new flowering plants, according to a news release from the city, and educate others on how to create a healthy space for them.
The Ada Soil and Water Conservation District is selling pollinator plants as part of the effort. Each tray has several 2-inch plant starts and sells for $42. There will be workshops available on how to best grow the plants, and the district will send out surveys to “track plant success,” according to its website. Those who fill out the surveys get a prize pack with stickers, recipe cards and more.
The planting was also held to support the reserve and honor the land, according to a city news release.
“The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes appreciate this unique opportunity to work with the city of Boise, the Idaho National Guard and our fellow Boise Valley Tribes, to restore the native vegetation to the Chief Eagle Eye Reserve which was part of the homelands of our people,” said Devon Boyer, Shoshone-Bannock chairman. “Our ancestors relied upon the resources of this region and would appreciate, as we do, the efforts of all involved to restore this area. “
Chief Eagle Eye Reserve was previously known as Castle Rock Reserve, but it was renamed in 2019 to honor indigenous people of the Boise Valley.
This story was originally published April 22, 2021 at 7:24 PM.
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