Abstract
The forests of Idaho have long played a fundamental role for inhabitants. They have provided shelter; sustenance; jobs in silviculture, logging, and manufacturing; the land base upon which homes and structures have been built; and areas for hunting and recreation. Decades of wildfire suppression coupled with federal forest policy changes in the 1990s have created forest conditions susceptible to increased risk of wildfire, insects, and disease, exacerbated by an increasingly warm and dry climate. The increased risks, and various ownerships' responses to increased risk, have important impacts on the state's forest resources and economy. To understand the potential economic risks to Idaho forests from climate change, it is necessary to understand the underlying resource base and ownership structure. This report first takes a brief look at the forest land base and resource characteristics, and how they have changed in the recent past. It then presents the contributions to Idaho's economy through timber harvesting and forest products manufacturing. After that, the report identifies how forests are affected by climate change, and provides an overview of studies that explore climate change impacts. The final section lays out mitigation and adaption options.