Galbreath receives new home to replace one lost in fire

Submitted by Shelley Ponozzo

The WUNCCIL (Wildfire Long Term Recovery for Unmet Needs Group for Clearwater, Idaho, and Lewis Counties) group held a dedication for a new home recently completed in the Upper Fords Creek area above Orofino. This area was one of the harder hit during the 2015 Municipal Fire in Clearwater County.

Dave Hasz, Chairman for the WUNCCIL Group opened the Dedication by thanking the Clearwater County Commissioner’s for waiving the County building fees and other assistance they provided in helping to make this new home a reality. Hasz presented the new home owner, Scott Galbreath with a Certificate of Occupancy from Clearwater County for his new home. 

Denise Bacon, Galbreath’s Case Manager for the WUNCCIL Group introduced Scott Galbreath and explained what he had to overcome with regards to the fires. Galbreath, a veteran, would have preferred being on his property to help fight the fires last August, but due to medical reasons and surgery, he was in the hospital. 

A family member and friends rushed to his property, but his home was already burning and a complete loss. They continued to hose down other out buildings to save what they could. John Eshleman, Region IV Board Chairman for the Mennonite Disaster Service presented Scott with a handmade quilt as a house warming gift. In addition, the Kamiah Quilters Guild gave two handmade quilts to Scott, for him and his daughter, to stay warm on cold nights.

Dave Hasz thanked Wade Gayler, Red Cross Senior Disaster Program Manager for the Idaho/Montana Region for all of his assistance this last year and for the funding of approximately $158,900 from the American Red Cross to assist those affected by the fires and help build two homes in Idaho County and one home in Clearwater County. 

Gayler stated “the contributions to the Red Cross came from Orofino, Kamiah, Lewiston, around the region and across the nation, to help this area rebuild and make this day possible. He is honored to represent the Red Cross at this day of celebration and to help dedicate this new home.”

The WUNCCIL Group wanted to thank and somehow show their appreciation to John Eshleman, Region IV Board Chairman and the Mennonite Disaster Service, for coming into our communities to provide their talent and expertise in rebuilding homes lost during last summer’s fires.

Hasz presented a plaque to Eshleman and the Mennonite Disaster Service. Words can fail us in trying to thank and describe how much the Mennonite Disaster Service provided to the Clearwater, Idaho and Lewis County area. Eshleman named the different project managers and their teams that came into this area to volunteer their time, thanking them. Harold Miller was the MDS Project Director for the home being dedicated that day.

Michele WhiteEagle performed the pastoral duties by closing the Dedication in prayer.

Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests continues response to 2015 fires

Personnel on the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests, regulatory agencies, and partners, continue to work together to provide visitors with safe access and restore the land and infrastructure affected by the 2015 fires.

Continued activities include Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER), working with partners to address needs on non-forest system lands, hazard tree removal along roads, administrative and recreation sites, and salvage of dead and dying trees.

In the summer of 2015, the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests had over 250 fires. Over 25 of those fires were large incidents and total acres burned was in excess of 192,000.

Forest personnel addressed the needs of each fire independently, and continue to address post-fire and landscape needs with the same rationale. 

Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) teams arrived on forest and began to assess emergency needs within fire perimeters as the fires were still burning. The result of this critical work was a request and the receipt of $1.1 million to do emergency repair work caused by the fires. 

The BAER assessments do not include long-term restoration needs on the landscape. The BAER recommendations are time-sensitive and forest personnel have been working on these projects since the fall of 2015 and continue to implement emergency repair work.

Potential threats to visitors and agency personnel include flooding and debris flows, hazard trees, and rock fall along trails and at trailheads, developed recreation sites, and dispersed areas that are within, downstream or downslope of burned areas.

The projects include culvert replacements, emergency hazard tree removal at campgrounds and other areas, and invasive plant control. Implementation of this work may cause short-term closures in campgrounds and along roads and trails, but will ultimately provide forest visitors long-term access. 

Forest personnel are active members of the North Central Idaho Wildfire Restoration Group (NCIWRG), previously called the North Idaho Wildfire Response Group.

The group was formed as the smoke began to clear and multiple agencies recognized the need to come together collectively and address the landscape affected by fire in an “all lands” approach. Work continues as agencies compile information on post-fire restoration needs in the five-county area. 

In May, the group hosted a workshop for the public entitled, “Life After the Fires: Living for Today, Planning for Tomorrow.” Information on creating fire-wise communities, post-fire restoration needs and opportunities identified by NCIWRG’s Technical Committee, and a presentation by Dr. Penny Morgan from the University of Idaho on Past, Present, and Future Fires was provided to private landowners in attendance. 

In addition to the active participation of forest personnel, the forest helped sponsor the event.

Throughout the late fall of 2015 and into the Spring of 2016, the forest has proposed and sought public comment on a variety of projects which include addressing hazard tree removal along certain roads, administrative sites, recreation sites, salvage of burned trees, and removal of dead and dying trees affected by insects, disease, fire, or a combination of conditions. 

Forest personnel continue to evaluate and modify our projects as necessary with respect to public comments, additional data collection, and new analyses.

The Roadside, Administrative, and Recreation Site Maintenance hazard tree removal, Woodrat, and Upper Lolo draft Environmental Assessments (EA) have been available on the forest website at http://prdp2fs.ess.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/projects/nezperceclearwater/landmanagement/projects?sortby=0&archive=0 for public review and comment since May 7, 2016. To date, general comments from two entities have been received. Below is a summary of proposed projects and their current status:

In response to public comments received, the Lost Hat/Snowy Summit decision has been rescinded and we will be incorporating this project, along with portions of the Roadside, Administrative, and Recreation Site Maintenance hazard tree removal project that are not immediate safety and infrastructure hazards, into the proposed Upper Lolo Environmental Assessment project.

The Upper Lolo project encompasses a cluster of fires that burned in the tributaries to Lolo Creek, east of Pierce and Weippe. The previously submitted Emergency Situation Determination request for the Upper Lolo project will be withdrawn and the proposed action will be published in our paper of record, the Lewiston Morning Tribune, and a 30-day notice and public comment will soon be available. 

Some public comments on the Chair Point, Van Keating, and Big Hill salvage projects indicated a high degree of concern. Reduced viability during layout, rapid deterioration of the wood product, and public concern from some organizations has led to the decision to drop these salvage projects.

The Deadwood project encompasses part of the Deadwood fire perimeter and is located on the Red River Ranger District, near Elk City and Orogrande. This project is sanitation and salvage and includes removal of dead and dying trees affected by insects, disease and/or fire. Forest employees are finalizing the analysis and a decision will be forthcoming on this project.

The Boulder area salvage project is on the Powell Ranger District, near Lolo Pass, and consists of harvesting 59 acres of dead and dying burned trees. Finalization of the analysis and a decision memo has been signed.

The Woodrat area salvage project includes harvest of fire-killed trees on a portion of the Woodrat fire which burned acres on the Lochsa Ranger District, lands administered by Idaho Department of Lands, and private lands near the communities of Syringa and Lowell.

The proposed decision is being refined due to changes on the ground and to take into account the visual impacts from within the Wild and Scenic River Corridor. An Emergency Situation Determination has been requested for this project.

Forest personnel continue to work closely with the regulator agencies on the Endangered Species Act compliance for both the Woodrat and Upper Lolo projects. This process has been completed for all other projects.

The proposed decision for the Roadside, Administrative, and Recreation Site Maintenance hazard tree removal project is being refined to address concerns from the public. The modifications include restricting activity on administratively closed roads to felling dead trees and fuels abatement, only; restricting equipment to the road surface adjacent to Inventoried Roadless Areas; and implementing project design features in areas visible from the Wild and Scenic River Corridor.

The Emergency Situation Determination request submitted for the Roadside, Administrative, and Recreation Site Maintenance hazard tree removal project has been approved by the Chief of the Forest Service.

Response to public concern, as well as resource conditions discovered during project layout, has reduced the scope and scale of the project and prompted changes in the proposed decision.

Forest personnel across all disciplines are working together to address the needs on lands administered by the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests and are participating members of the NCIWRG. Public input is a valued part of this process, as forest personnel work to provide safe access and restore the land.

Fourth graders tell their fire stories, learn about renewable forests

Fourth grade students ran with a parachute and squirted an engine hose as they enjoyed a day in the Forest May 31, experiencing how forest lands recover after wildland fire.

Forest visits were organized by Courtney Couch, Forest Service Fire Education and Prevention Specialist. Each day-long field trip took place at Spring Bar, O’Hara Creek and Musselshell Creek, three fire affected areas on the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests.

Students were divided into groups and heard seven different presentations on wildland fire. Presentations included wildland engine operations, helicopter operations, what it means to be a smokejumper, the science behind prescribed burning, the ecological benefits of fire, and making a ‘firewise’ home.

Students also took an emotional healing walk while observing forest regeneration in a burned area. 

The Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests were one of 186 federal recipients selected to receive an Every Kid in the Park (EKIP) grant. These grants provided funding for transportation to get children outside, exploring their public lands.

The grant covered the cost of busing fourth grade students from Nezperce, Grangeville, Kooskia, Kamiah, Weippe, Pierce, Riggins and Orofino, to sites on the Nez Perce–Clearwater National Forests.

In addition, the Forest Service visited classrooms before and after the field trip to give students an opportunity to discuss their experiences surrounding the 2015 fire season.

This effort was led Matti Sand, a U.S. Forest Service Fire Lookout. Matti provided a safe and understanding atmosphere where students could talk about how the fires affected their lives and families.

Following the field trips, students used poetry to express what they learned and their wildfire experiences last summer. See the end of this article to read student poems.

For the poetry writing, children were encouraged to be creative and were not bound by rules of spelling or punctuation. At the suggestion of the Friends of the Kooskia Community Library and through support of other local libraries, these student poems will be on exhibit this summer. The Forest Service will be providing a bound copy of poems, organized by school groups, to community libraries. 

The grant, Healing the Land, Healing Ourselves: Exploring the Ecological and Psychological Influences of Fire in Our Communities around the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests received writing assistance and fiscal sponsorship from the Clearwater Resource Conservation and Development council. 

Information on emotional healing was provided by the Willow Center. The Idaho Department of Lands provided presentations on ‘firewise’ homes. The Clearwater Potlatch Fire Protective Association assisted with wildland engine operations for the Orofino and Timberline field trip. 

The Nez Perce Tribe provided presentations on forest regeneration during an emotional healing walk. 

This project was made possible by a grant from the National Park Foundation through the generous support of Disney and individual donors from across the country.

The U.S. Forest Service is one of seven federal land management agencies that comprise Every Kid in a Park, a Presidential initiative to give every fourth grader the chance to explore America’s great outdoors and our unique history.

The President called upon seven agencies, including the Forest Service, to “help get all children to visit and enjoy the outdoors and inspire a new generation of Americans to experience their country’s unrivaled public lands and waters.”

In addition to the Forest Service, the other agencies that are part of Every Kid in a Park are the U.S. Bureau of Land Management; U.S. Bureau of Reclamation; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; National Park Service; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 

For more information, contact Courtney Couch at the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests: (208) 926-4274.

Timberline Elementary

The Great Fires of 2015 by Levi

Fire

Powerful, warm

Burning, growing, dying

Burning up trees; putting out fires

Moving, flowing, evaporating

Cold, deep

Water

When the Fires Came by Hailey

In the forest a tree

Here’s a fire crackling and

Screaming with rage,

The tree tries to run

But he can’t by now

He hates his roots…

Soon the fire emerges

In front of him

With the wood peckers

Yelling burn burn 

The fire, started to burn him 

Soon the fire past

He was alive

The tree was so glad 

He burst with tears of joy.

Fire the Destroyer

Warm soon turns to its wild side

The red flames set to burn all

In its path soon could with evil spirit

It’s out after a week and a half the elements still hold embers 

It start again

Fire and Ice – by Jayme

Fire and Ice

Some say the world will end in fire some say in ice 

from what I’ve tasted of desire

I hold with those who favor fire

But if it had to perish twice

I think I know enough of hate to say

that for destruction ice is also great

Poems of FIRE by Exzavier

Fire

Fire is dangerous

It fills water of ash

Rashes from the heat

Embers and sparks burn

Run Trees by Destiny

I am red

I have flames

I burn things

There is smoke where I go?

What am I?

Fire

The animals die because of me

The trees burn because of me

What am I?

Fire

The trees burn from this thing

What is it?

I help recycle the Earth

My ash goes to the soil

What am I?

Fire Poetry by Sam

Fire burning when it’s hot, 

Flames flying with the wind,

Fire getting higher and higher,

Burning the canyon,

Scorching the woods,

And blazing the houses and fields.

That is my poem

The first flame, the first spark

Going higher and higher

The first black dust

Trying to catch the wind.

That is my poem.

Fire…glowing red and orange in the night,

Wanting to burn,

Wanting to glow so bright. 

Birthday Fire by Ethan

Sitting at the campfire watching flames go up

And up at my brother’s birthday

Stacking more wood and more

On the fire telling scary stories.

While absorbing more heat from the fire. 

The Poem of Fire by Kyd

1910

Fire…makes me remember the fire of 1910.

A lot of families died right then.

They could see the pyro catching up to them.

There in the woods was a sea of flames.

And that was the fire of 1910.

Orofino Elementary

Summer Flames by Stevie

Idaho Fires 2015

Summer flames above the mountains

Below the clouds

May it stop?

Should we sob?

What should we do?

Can we stop the trees from new

Hideous hairdos?

Most importantly

Can we prevent wildfires?

Help Smokey Out Kids

Don’t play with matches!

Fire Poem by Seger

Fire crackle sizzle

Frightening burning

Birds fly low

The smokes gets lower

When the smoke fly’s out

The animals pop out

The trees regrow

The bugs come out

Thank you to ALL the 

Firefighters for putting out the fire. 

Fire! Smoke! By Kelly

I don’t really like it

It is horrible

It smells horrible

It is fire!!

The smoke was thick

My dad was working

I was scared!!!

I went outside 

It smelled like smoke

Mixed with pine tree

It stunk bad.

Everyday my dad was out

Telling people to leave their home

I felt sad and scared.

It was one of the worst weeks

Of my life

But when it was over

It was one of the best days

Of my life.

2015 Fires by Mylie

The fire is burning so hot 

The heat is absorbing into my body.

The yellow and blue flames

The red coals glowing

And the smell of burning wood. 

Fire Tips by Cheyanne

1. Make sure your address is posted clearly so people can see it.

2. When there is a fire get wood and dry stuff away from your house.

3. Make sure tree branches are not on your house because when the fire comes it won’t burn the top of your house.

4. Clean your chimney because if you have straw or dry stuff in your chimney it could burn the straw and it could fall in your house and burn the whole inside of your house. 

Thank you J

Wild Fire!!! By Briley

We were sitting

Not aware of anything

Papa comes in telling us

To come out!!!

I stood on a stump 

looking at the site of the fire

Eating the house.

Across the canyon.

My gramma called 911

And the friends

Asking if they were OK.

They were just fine.

WILD FIRE by Bodey

Fire you make me quake and shake

Your heat makes my heart beat fast

And can’t control it. 

You fire sound like gunfire

You make firefighters fight.

Fire by Patrick

Fire is bad for lungs

Bad for wood in forests

Good for smores

Roasting hot dogs

Fire Poetry by Loudan

Fire fire everywhere.

Helicopters in the air.

We need water everywhere

To put that fire out so fast

We need water really fast.

Ashes in the air.

Flames in the trees.

Smoke everywhere

Propane tank on fire.

Yelling in the house.

A hose turning on.

My experience to Fire’s in 2015 by Dayna

Big fires smoke in the air 

Tears coming from my eyes 

Hot in the air

Sun hiding

Me sweating

Me sad

Watching houses burn down

Sad faces come all over

Birds flying low

Places on fire

Fire fighters working long days

Some water getting poured.

Sad people

Houses on fire

Scary sounds

Me crying

Sorry faces.

Outside fire fighters

Working hard

And risking lives.

The Fire of 2015 by Linda

Smoke flying in the morning

Can’t breath from smoke in the air.

Smoke going here 

Smoke going there

Smoke going everywhere

Fire is on the green burning

From all the lightning

Heading to the next place to attack. 

Quick! We need a evacuation 

Fire is going in my calculations.

Fires all done in all places

Time to get back to 

Summer vacation

Fire by Donya

Mom, Dad, the dogs and I drove through Lenore 

and got to somewhere safe

Then the fire was over 

We were safe

Back home with the dogs.

We’re glad to be home and so we’re the dogs

The end!

Fire of 2015 by Lexie

Fire, fire 

your cool to admire

but not when you spread

more and more 

fire.

In harm’s way after the fire

By Elizabeth Morgan

Clearwater County’s Emergency Management team, under the direction of Don Gardner, advised those residing along Orofino Creek, near the area burned in the Orofino-area Municipal Fire this past year, of some potential risks in the fire’s aftermath.

Of the 22 people who attended the public meeting Feb. 22, more than half were officials from the city and county, the National Weather Service out of Missoula, MT, and a field officer from the Bureau of Homeland Security. 

Issues of concern

Hydrologist Ray Nickless of Missoula’s National Weather Service described the patterns he’s noted in regions affected by wildfires. He shared a couple of fairly recent videos illustrating the intensity of debris flows and flash floods near Salmon and Helena, MT, where wildfires had burned two to three years ago.

As jaws dropped and eyebrows were raised, Nickless assured his audience that the acreage we lost in last summer’s fire was much smaller than those in the videos. 

Geological and terrain studies performed by both the Corps of Engineers and the Forest Service illustrated areas where the fire had burned the hottest, and its impact on the ground.

Aerial maps indicated the draws and drainages along the steep hillside which flow toward Orofino Creek which were of particular concern.

“Presently,” said Nickless, “even though there are many dead trees along the hillside, their roots are still holding the soil. We will be more watchful once those roots begin to decompose in the next couple of years when the potential for harm is greater.

Still, this winter’s precipitation and recent wet weather isn’t as threatening as it might seem, and still not bad as spring rains continue in April and May. Nickless predicts the greatest potential danger in the months of July and August, when our area experiences torrential downpours from thunderstorms which seem to come from out of the blue.

A heavy amount of precipitation within a short period of time is something we need to watch, such as those thunderstorms producing one-half inch or more of rain within 30 minutes to an hour’s time. 

Landslide vs. mudslide, debris flows, flash floods

Landslides are slow to evolve. Signs of trees bending, telephone poles, retaining walls or fences leaning are another indicator. Watch for new cracks or unusual bulges in the ground.

Mudslides, debris flows, and flash floods can transpire much faster. These are harder to predict and often occur with little warning.

By planning ahead, and knowing ahead of time how and where to access the heavy machinery, we can clear debris from the creek if needed. It would be much easier to clear than if there were to be a mudslide. If debris were to lodge against the bridge or take it out, the situation becomes much worse.

What the city and county are doing

“As a county and city we felt it important to let you know what we know,” said Gardner. 

Having done his homework, Gardner will apply for the F MAG (Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant) from FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) for $400,000. The application’s closing deadline is March 10.

“It will take a couple of months to be approved and a few months beyond that to receive the money,” Gardner explained. “We’re looking toward the fall, before we have the funds. Then we’ll restore, reforest, and replant, then worry about weeds, as they love that open ground.”

Traditionally, government assistance is designated for roads, bridges, courthouses, etc. “This is one of those rare grants which is actually permitted to be spent on private lands,” assured Gardner.

“From my perspective, I see no issues this winter,” said Gardner. “The roots are still intact, and soon new grasses and growth will help stabilize the hillside. Later, this summer, there will be some concern, but next year, next summer, we’re going to have to be vigilant. The good thing is we have time to think about how to deal with it.”

For now, NOAA Weather Radios were distributed to those at the greatest risk for weather coverage and severe storm alerts available 24/7.

The radio helps to keep people informed of severe storms in neighboring counties and can sometimes send a warning three-five hours ahead of the storm. Still for some systems it may only be 45 minutes. But 45 minutes still allows for time to evacuate. 

If you were unable to attend but live in an area at risk, please contact Don Gardner at the Clearwater County Office of Emergency Management at 2200 Michigan Ave. or call (208) 476-4064. 

What individuals can do…before

Be aware of your surroundings.

Have a plan before it is needed.

Inform neighbors of any potential hazards.

Notify the sheriff’s office where and with whom (contact number) you are staying, should it be necessary to self-evacuate.

Help a neighbor who may need special assistance.

Stay alert and awake. Many fatalities occur at night, when people are sleeping.

And after…

Plant trees, grasses and shrubs to help stabilize the soil.

Trees which have been burned and are not being harvested may be used by placing them horizontally on the hillside to catch or impede the speed of debris and rocks being washed down.

A word of caution to homeowners: “Flood insurance does not cover mud slides.”

Having a plan doesn’t always guarantee that things will go the way we would like them to, but it does make us think beforehand and allow extra time to prepare. Make and review your plan with your family and loved ones at least once a year.

Last summer, we watched half of our town go up in smoke, with nary a warning. Let’s use this information and this time to prepare whatever and wherever we can. Being ready and alert will make all the difference.

Summer fire season is just around the corner—are you ready?

By Janet Boyer

Believe it or not, the summer fire season is just around the corner. Sunnyside Rural Fire District is hosting a “Firewise” presentation for the area residents on Thursday, Feb. 25, at 6:30 p.m., at the Sunnyside Fire Station.

Kip Kemak, Fire Prevention and Mitigation Specialist for the Nez Perce Tribe, will explain how you can prepare your home to better withstand a wildfire in your neighborhood.

There are many simple, effective steps you can take this spring to prepare your home before it is in danger. 

One of the most effective ways to reduce your risk during a wildfire is to reduce the level of flammable vegetation surrounding your home. This can also increase the moisture content of the remaining vegetation.

You will learn how to keep your home safer during fire season while still retaining its rural appearance.

Sunnyside Fire Station is located at about mile marker 7 on the Cavendish Highway.

If you have any questions, please contact Janet Boyer, Sunnyside Firewise Coordinator, at 208-476-0102, or Rich Hull, Fire Chief, at 208-827-0127.

Municipal Fire Damage meeting Feb. 22

Another fire meeting, this time covering the Municipal Fire that hit the Orofino area last summer, will be held Monday, Feb. 22, 6 p.m. at Orofino City Hall (217 1st St.)

The purpose of this meeting is to share with the public the results of a study done by the Corps of Engineers and Forest Service BEAR team. These studies looked at the damage done by the 2015 fire and the possible impacts.

They will discuss the possible landslide and debris flows along Orofino Creek and what the city and county are doing in relationship to the risk. They will also share what individuals can do.

Historic fire season ends with a look forward

Submitted by the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests

For those of us who experienced the 2015 fire season in north central Idaho, we will remember it for its extremes—explosive fire behavior and devastating effects on communities and resources on one hand, and a positive rallying point for community disaster and recovery support as well as some positive impacts on the land, on the other hand.

On the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests, the fires produced the same battle of extremes—Ranger Stations, recreational infrastructure, critical habitats and timber stands were threatened by fire, most were saved, some were lost. 

The season is replete with stories of heroism, hard work, and people coming together for a common goal. We could provide facts and figures on how this affected your Forest lands, but that would not tell the whole story. 

Planning for the 2015 fire season began long before the lightning hit in early August. Fuel moistures were low and temperatures were high through the spring and early summer. The central Idaho fire leadership group braced for an epic season and ordered additional firefighting resources. 

When lightning ignited over 250 fires between Aug. 9-11 and immediately threatened communities outside of lands managed by the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests, the additional Forest Service firefighters were already on the way.

As fire threatened Kamiah, Orofino, Peck, Nezperce and other communities, we diverted our Forest initial attack personnel, aircraft, and incoming firefighting resources for use by Idaho Department of Lands to protect the public and the values most at risk, at that time. 

The Forest’s remaining initial attack resources extinguished many of the fires on the Forest but those that were unstaffed grew big. When communities near Forest lands were threatened, firefighting resources, regardless of agency affiliation, were shared to continue to keep the public safe. 

This season was a true interagency effort with two countries, 26 states, nine counties, nine cities, several rural fire districts, four tribes, and seven federal agencies represented in the effort. 

The 2015 fire season was intense and relatively short-lived but we will feel the impacts personally, professionally, socially, economically, and environmentally for years to come. When the smoke in the valleys cleared, over 280,000 acres of private, state, tribal, and federal land was impacted. On the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests, our latest mapping shows 195,683 acres burned with about two-thirds of that in the roaded front country. 

Assessing impacts and restoration began while the fires were still burning. Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Teams inventoried and prioritized imminent post-wildfire threats to human life and safety, property, and critical natural or cultural resources on National Forest System lands. 

Recently we received $1.09 million to begin to address those threats. In addition to working on National Forest lands, many current and retired Forest Service employees are assessing private lands to assist landowners. “The Forest will continue to be a player in the restoration efforts off National Forest System lands because it is the right thing to do for the communities and the resources in the basin,” said Cheryl Probert, Forest Supervisor.

In order to address all the post-fire work needed, we have redirected our planned work on the Forest. Many people only think of salvage of burned timber when they talk about post-fire work. On the Nez Perce-Clearwater, salvage of burned timber is only one of many types of actions we are taking to deal with the fires of 2015. 

We retained as many of our seasonal employees as we could this fall to have them work on assessing post-fire needs. We have categorized our current activities into several types:

Fire suppression rehabilitation—Most of this work such as fireline rehab was done before the incident management teams left the area. Firelines in the more heavily timbered areas will not be completely finished until the majority of the cut trees are removed. 

Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER)—Inventory and planning have been completed and implementation has begun on the most critical needs. Some of these actions include emergency culvert replacement, adding drainage dips to roads, and felling those hazard trees posing the most imminent threat to safety.

Restoration on private lands—Work accomplished to date includes inventory of restoration needs, planning projects, applying for grants, providing information, and supporting community forums. A group of retired Forest Service employees assessed burn severity and emergency restoration needs on private lands throughout the Basin. Current Nez Perce-Clearwater employees are members of the Soil Conservation Districts’ Multi-Agency Cooperative Restoration Organization (MACRO) at the leadership and technical levels.

Maintenance of roads, recreation sites, and administrative sites—Field personnel have been out assessing additional maintenance needs, including hazard tree removal, and an interdisciplinary team is analyzing the impacts of those actions. 

Salvage harvest for fuels reduction and insect and disease prevention—Field personnel have been assessing potential areas where salvage harvest is needed, practical and possible within the analysis timeframes. Three interdisciplinary teams of resource managers are developing proposed actions and analyzing impacts. This effort began with a coarse filter approach that identified areas we would not salvage such as wilderness and unroaded lands. 

Next, our foresters went out with other resource specialists and assessed the feasibility and economic value of those remaining areas. They also considered dropping areas with resource issues that could take a long time to analyze. This initial evaluation removed about 90 percent of the burned areas from consideration for salvage harvest. 

The interdisciplinary teams are prioritizing and refining the proposals in the Tepee Springs/Deadwood fire area, Wash fire, Woodrat and Motorway complex areas. In the salvage harvest areas, downed woody debris will be left for soil quality and wildlife habitat, and areas will be replanted with desired species to re-create more historic conditions. 

Recreation site and other infrastructure repair and restoration—This will be accomplished as funds become available.

Large-scale Restoration—Field personnel have been inventorying reforestation needs, aquatic/stream conditions, and invasive species, and developing monitoring plans to determine fire effects. Restoration needs will be incorporated into the Forest’s program of work.

“Just as the communities and the agencies came together while the fires were burning, we will continue to work together in the post-fire landscape. We are committed to helping in the recovery of all lands in the basin as well as increasing the pace and scale of fuels reduction and forest vegetation restoration on the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests for the future,” said Probert. 

Pro-active management will result in long-term ecological sustainability in many ways—by reducing the fuels and potential for high intensity reburn; providing opportunities to reforest more acres with species that are more resistant and resilient to disease, fire and drought; by improving wildlife habitat for species such as elk that are reliant on more open pockets of vegetation; and by improving the quality of life for some through jobs and income.

“The Forest Service is directed to contribute to the long-term economic, social, and ecological sustainability of the communities in our area and we look forward to many years of working with our stakeholders to meet that commitment,” added Probert.

A look back at the 2015 fire season

Submitted by the Idaho Department of Lands

(BOISE) - As the end of October nears, a five-month long fire season - one of the worst on record for northern Idaho - slowly cools off.

The Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) and two timber protective associations have been fighting fire since May and are still mopping up fires this week. Together we have put out close to 300 fires that burned 75,000 acres, racking up close to $80 million in fire suppression costs - about $60 million of which Idaho taxpayers will pay. Fire managers are still encouraging the public to report fires as soon as they see smoke.

Nearly half the fires fought were human caused.

The total number of fires on lands protected by the State of Idaho was a fairly typical 89 percent of the 20-year average, while the number of acres burned was huge - 594 percent of the 20-year average.

The vast majority of wildfires are put out before they reach ten acres. However, but the fires that escape initial attack cost taxpayers the most money to suppress. That's particularly true when the fires require the use of an incident management team.

Fourteen IDL fires required the use of 27 incident management teams. The teams are interagency groups of fire management professionals specially trained and experienced in managing complex wildfires.

Agencies order a team when a fire escapes initial attack and is expected to exceed the agency's local district resources. There are high costs associated with the use of Type 1 and Type 2 incident management teams.

The largest, most expensive fires were the Clearwater Complex fires that destroyed 48 homes and 70 other buildings near Kamiah in Idaho County in August. Those fires cost more than $25 million to suppress and burned more than 68,000 acres.

A total of 63 residences and 79 other structures were lost this year in fires fought by the State of Idaho.

Approximately 740,000 acres burned across the state in 2015, nearly 80 percent owned and managed by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, Idaho's two largest land managers.

Approximately 28,000 acres of endowment lands managed by IDL burned. Of that, 7,000 acres of endowment timber land burned, creating opportunities to make more money for public schools through 15 planned fire salvage sales that will produce 88 million board feet of timber and 5,500 acres of regenerated forests into the future.

The other 1,500 forested endowment lands that burned are too rocky and steep or hold minimal volume to be cut and then replanted. Fourteen of the 15 IDL fire salvage sales will be sold by the first of the year and harvest operations already have started on one of them.