It's Time to Stop Killing Yourself With Idaho's Most Annoying Fal

Can you get in trouble for not raking your leaves in Idaho?

Nope! According to Section 18-3906, Highways & Bridges, it's illegal to blow and sweep the leaves on your private property into the street. However, Idahoans are under no obligation to rake their leaves.

Surprised? We were. Honestly, it's probably the decades of dealing with oppressive HOAs in the Treasure Valley that made us think it was illegal in the first place.

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Shall Set You Free

That changed after a serendipitous scroll through our Facebook newsfeed presented us with a post from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. In it, FWS encouraged followers to stop the exhausting, torturous, and cyclical habit of raking leaves off their lawn. Take a look!

It’s that time of year again! The temps are down, and leaves are piling up…but this year, consider leaf-ing space for wildlife. While it might seem a bit rebellious, wildlife like cardinals, chipmunks, and this spotted salamander prefer when you lay off the yard work. Forgoing your autumn routine will also reduce the number of plastic bags sent to your local landfill. If you just can’t get your head around the idea of a leafy lawn (or like us, you love any excuse to be active outside), consider shredding leaves for mulch in your garden beds. You can even create a compartmentalized wildlife oasis (a.k.a. brush pile) by combining leaves with branches, sticks and stems in a corner of your backyard. A little chicken wire can help keep things in place if you’re concerned about the wind! -U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

You're Not Lazy, You're a Conservationist

Set yourself free of the guilt and shame. Your cessation of fall's most miserable chore is actually a win for the environment and Idaho critters.

When faced with your neighbor's wuthering, judgmental stares, just remember: you're not lazy, you're a conservationist. If only we could turn this into a tax write-off, we'd be unstoppable.

Before we Google how to make that happen, we want to thank FWS for making us feel as guilt-free as a husband napping at noon on a Saturday.