Researchers hope the project will provide a case study demonstrating that much of the permanent interior fencing could be removed from federal grazing allotments and be effectively replaced with virtual fencing.

The first season of the planned two-year study started in mid-April and will conclude in October. The Foundation for America’s Public Lands funded the project with a $235,000 grant.

Furthermore, the ability to track livestock movements via the collars will provide the team with insights into other research questions. The researchers want to use data from their collared cattle to better understand important animal traits and to assess different management approaches.

“We’ve seen that where cattle spend the most time is not where they’re doing most of their grazing,” Ellison said. “We’re starting to learn little things like that by evaluating the data we’ve collected so far.”

The research team also includes K. Scott Jensen, an area Extension educator specializing in rangeland management and livestock grazing; Hadley Dotts, a research associate; and three graduate students — Henning Krúger and Maxine Walas, master’s students in animal science, and Abigail McClaflin, who is pursuing a master’s in water resources.

Ellison began research using virtual fencing in 2023, when she started a project on federal grazing allotments through which a wildfire had burned the previous grazing season, and in subsequent years, combined targeted grazing with collared cattle and aerial herbicide spraying to control cheatgrass. The team also used the collars to keep cattle away from critical fish habitat during the spawning season.

Ellison is also the lead on a separate, $181,000 grant from the Foundation for America’s Public Lands also involving virtual fencing. The project, scheduled to begin in March 2027, will entail grazing collared cattle in strips along roadways to establish wildfire fuel breaks.

Jonathan Clavijo-Herrera was among the first scientists in Florida to successfully establish a high-density peach orchard, using trellises to train tree branches to grow on fruiting walls, which reduces labor while increasing yields.

Now Clavijo is poised to help University of Idaho blaze trails with its fruit-production research.

On March 2, 2026, Clavijo joined the U of I’s Parma Research and Extension Center as an assistant professor and Extension specialist in pomology. In his new role, Clavijo will conduct research benefiting Idaho’s fruit industry, with an emphasis on apples, cherries and peaches.

Clavijo was attracted to the job by the potential of the fruit industry in Idaho, the opportunity to research new types of fruit, the high quality of the laboratory facilities at Parma and the ample orchard space.

“I feel there’s a lot of support from the Parma station team,” Clavijo said. “I feel like there are a lot of opportunities here. There’s a lot of work to be done for sure in the orchard and the lab and everything, but I’m really encouraged by the support I’m receiving from the university, and the willingness of the growers to partner and collaborate is amazing.”

Originally from La Paz, Bolivia, Clavijo earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural sciences and production from Zamorano University in Honduras. He continued his education at University of Florida (UF) in Gainesville, where he earned a master’s degree and a doctorate in horticultural sciences. Early on in his graduate studies, Clavijo completed an internship involving the use of LED lighting for the indoor production of leafy greens. He researched how to improve commercial production and water use efficiency in greens by manipulating the light spectrum.

As a master’s student, Clavijo studied the potential for a Florida olive industry.

“We evaluated three olive varieties in two locations to see how they would perform,” Clavijo said. “We also tested different strategies to establish those trees.”

Furthermore, Clavijo helped develop a tool to help olive farmers adjust their fertilization management practices under local growing conditions.

His doctoral dissertation entailed researching how a rootstock — the underground part of a plant onto which another variety is grafted — can affect the performance of the above-ground portion of a tree, known as the scion. He and his research team found that certain rootstocks improved the capacity of trees to uptake water and nutrients. The team also found that rootstocks can affect the expression of genes related to dormancy, which enables a tree to withstand winter temperatures while conserving energy for the growing season.

(TNS) — Sick of peeling that pesky tag off of your license plate every year?

A new Idaho law that goes into effect this summer ends the legal requirements for vehicle registration tags on motor vehicles.

However, you still need to update your tags — or risk getting a ticket.

Here’s what drivers to know:

DO I STILL NEED A VEHICLE REGISTRATION STICKER?

House Bill 533 eliminates the color-coded vehicle registration stickers Idaho drivers attach to their license plates, saving the Idaho Transportation Department an estimated $300,000 in production costs.

Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed HB 533 into law in early March.

Starting July 1, Idaho drivers will no longer be required to replace their sticker tags when renewing vehicle registrations.

The change comes as law enforcement agencies are relying more on automated technology.

Automated license plate readers “automatically capture images or videos” of a passing vehicle, then detect the license plate number and access all recorded information related to that vehicle, according to the Library of Congress.

That includes the vehicle’s registration, make, model and color as well as whether it’s on a so-called “hot list” identifying vehicles of interest to law enforcement, the Library of Congress said on its website.

HOW CAN I TELL IF MY VEHICLE REGISTRATION IS EXPIRING?

Vehicle registration provides proof that your car, pickup truck, SUV or motorcycle is “allowed to drive on Idaho roads,” according to the Idaho Department of Transportation .

That’s still the case even if you’re no longer to sport a sticker on your license plate.

“Nothing is changing for customers when it comes to renewing registration,” Britt Rosenthal, public information officer for the Idaho Division of Motor Vehicles, told the Idaho Statesman in an email. “The only update is that Idaho will stop mailing out physical registration stickers after July 1, 2026.”

The Idaho DMV notifies drivers by mail, text or email when their registration is about to expire, according to Rosenthal.

“Residents can also log into their portal at anytime to check vehicle renewal status,” Rosenthal said.

“You should renew your vehicle registration before it expires,” the DMV said. “If you renew your registration early, your new expiration date will not change. You cannot renew a registration that is suspended or revoked or is conditional for title.”

HOW MUCH CAN I BE FINED FOR EXPIRED TAGS?

If your vehicle is unregistered — or that registration has expired — an Idaho police officer can pull you over and give you a warning or a ticket, the Statesman reported previously.

The fines for unregistered vehicles and expired tags haven’t changed.

Having expired tags in Idaho is a traffic infraction punishable a $101 fine, according to the Idaho Supreme Court.

If you’re caught driving with fake registration or borrowing or stealing tags, you could pay a $115 fine, the Statesman previously reported. The true owner of the registration is at risk of being fined the same amount.

If you provide false information when you’re registering your vehicle, you could face a $156.50 fine. That includes giving a name that is not legally recognized by the state of Idaho.

HOW DO I REGISTER A VEHICLE IN IDAHO FOR THE FIRST TIME?

To register a vehicle for the first time, you must visit an Idaho Division of Motor Vehicles office in person.

In Boise, you can visit the state Division of Motor Vehicles office at 8655 West Franklin Road for new vehicle registration or registration renewal.

The DMV has office locations across the state that can assist with registration requests.

To register and title a vehicle in Idaho, you’ll need to provide the following:

• Your full legal name
• An Idaho driver’s license number, Idaho-issued ID card, Social Security number or employer identification number
• A verifiable physical address
• A verifiable mailing address

HOW DO I RENEW MY VEHICLE REGISTRATION IN IDAHO?

The Idaho Division of Motor Vehicles offers multiple options for drivers seeking to renew their registration, including an online portal that can be used with or without creating a personal account

You can also visit the DMV’s virtual Ada County office.

In addition, you can renew your vehicle registration by calling 208-584-4343, mailing a check money order to the DMV office that sent your renewal notice or visiting a DMV office in person.

Save time by scheduling an appointment in advance.

HOW MUCH DOES CAR REGISTRATION COST IN IDAHO?

Registration costs depend on the vehicle type, weight, age and inspection requirements, as well as the county where you live, according to the DMV.

Registration and renewal costs for noncommercial vehicles — those weighing 8,000 pounds or less — can range from $24 to $140 for a standard Idaho license plate.

Personalized and specialty license plates require an additional annual fee.

It can cost $73 to $337 to register a commercial vehicle weighing more than 8,000 pounds, with costs affected by weight.

You can use the Idaho DMV’s online calendar to calculate your registration fees.

©2026 The Idaho Statesman, Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.