Fall burning planned on the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests

The Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests will be conducting fall prescribed burns beginning as early as Sept. 10 and continuing through September and into October, until weather or air quality conditions are no longer favorable.

Roads and trail heads that lead into these areas will be posted with caution signs and a map of the prescribed fire locations. 

Powell Ranger Station is planning to broadcast burn a 20 acre unit in the Saddle Camp area along FS road 5601. Smoke may be seen along FS road 107 and FS road 500.

Machine piles in the Saddle Camp and Granite Pass areas within the vicinity of the Powell Divide Timber Sale, along with hand piles near Rocky Point Lookout and the Powell Ranger Station, are also targeted for burning.

Moose Creek Ranger District is planning pile burning in the Johnson Bar area and the Swiftwater and Iron Mountain timber sale areas.

As weather and conditions allow prescribed fire treatments may be applied to three units in the O’Hara area. Visitors may see smoke and meet forest personnel along FS roads 470 (Coolwater) and FS road 464 (O’Hara) during burn operations. 

Lochsa Ranger Station as part of the North Lochsa Face Project is planning a landscape burn in the Middle Butte area north of FS road 483. The prescribed fire treatment is estimated to be 1,000 acres.

The purpose of the burn is to reintroduce fire to the landscape, reduce woody fuel loadings which also reduces the potential for large, catastrophic wildfires, and allow vegetation, naturally found in these areas, to return. 

Additional broadcast burning is planned in late September or early October in the Dead Canyon Timber Sale area near the upper portion of Deadman Creek and Cedar Knob and in the Cabin Timber Sale area near Cabin Creek. The prescribed fire treatments will reduce woody debris to create openings for tree planting.

North Fork Ranger District is planning pile burning in the Middle Bugs Timber Sale area. Piles are located near Lean-To Ridge off of FS road 555 and Beaver Dam Saddle off of FS road 103.

Palouse Ranger District is planning to broadcast burn 30 acres in the Abes Animals Timber Sale near Bovill and an additional 15 acres in the Robo Stew Timber Sale near the community of Elk River. 

Machine piles will be burned in the Cherry Pit, located near Helmer, and Abes Animal timber sale areas. Hand piles located near Jerome Creek, near Harvard, and near the Palouse Ranger District are also targeted for burning. 

Salmon River Ranger District is scheduled to broadcast burn approximately 336 acres within the Festus, Adams Stewardship and the Buckshot timber sale areas.

Approximately 129 acres will be treated within the Festus Timber Sale southeast near White Bird Station off of FS road 9485.

45 acres located in two logging units within the Adams Stewardship Timber Sale near the Adams Work Center, FS road 221, and FS road 309.

Treatments in the Buckshot Timber Sale will total 162 acres and is located near Willow Flat off of FS road 354.

Prescribed fire treatments in various Ponderosa Pine plantations near McComas Meadows, Earthquake Basin, and in the Cove area at the head waters of Bully Creek are planned. 200-300 acres will be treated.

Red River Ranger District, weather permitting, will begin prescribed fire treatments September 12, 2016 and continue until weather and conditions no longer support burning operations. Prescribed fire treatments are scheduled in the Red River Meadows area and the Soda Creek area. 

Acres and locations scheduled include: Approximately 100 acres in the 66 Timber Sale located on the west side of Red River Meadows and below FS road 1800 (Cole Porter Road), 80 acres, Looney 2 Timber Sale, east of FS road 222 along FS road 1806 (Loon Creek Road), 14 acres, Blanco Timber Sale, and east of FS road 222.

Also north of FS road 1183 (Blanco Road), 100 acres, Jungle Trail Timber Sale, located between FS road 234 (Red River Hot Springs Road) and FS road 1172 (Soda Creek Road), and 200 acres in the French Gulch Timber Sale along FS road 9822 (French Gulch Road).

Fire personnel will work closely with the Idaho/Montana Airshed Group, the National Weather Service, and the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality to insure that smoke impacts are minimized. 

Smoke from these prescribed fires will be much less than what would be expected from a wildfire. If smoke concentrations approach air quality standards fire ignition may be delayed until air quality improves.

Residual smoke may be visible for up to two weeks following ignition, but most of the smoke from the fires will dissipate one or two days after ignition. 

Specific information on the location and timing of these prescribed burns are available at each of the district offices. Powell Ranger Station – Matt Young or Brandon Cichowski, 208-942-3113, Moose Creek Ranger District – Tim Schaeffer or Aaron Skinner, 208-926-4258, Lochsa Ranger Station – Sean Gaines or Neal Cox, 208-926-4274, North Fork Ranger District – Mike Lubke or TC Peterson, 208-476-4541, Palouse Ranger District – Lisa Spinelli or Alan Carlson, 208-875-1131, Salmon River Ranger District – Mike Blinn or Kevin Barger, 208-983-1950, Red River Ranger District – Josh Bransford or Tom McLeod, 208-842-2245.

Forest Proposes Adding Cabins and Lookouts to Recreation Rental Program and Increase and Implement New Fees at Several Recreation Sites Across the Forest

The Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests are interested in receiving your comments on a proposal to increase the fee at one campground; and implement a new fee at two campgrounds, three group recreation sites and four cabin/lookout rentals. 

Through this proposal, if implemented, two cabins and two lookouts will be available for public rental, adding to the Forest’s popular recreation rental program. They will also bring several campgrounds, group sites and a dump station into alignment with other sites offering similar benefits and services. 

While these sites have historically been free, the forest has invested in items such as; potable water; increasing recreation site capacity and amenities, such as group sites and shelters; improved toilet facilities; and new picnic tables and other infrastructure.

A reasonable fee, paid by users of these sites and services, will help ensure that the Forest can continue maintaining and improving the sites for future generations. 

The Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests is proposing to charge fees at the following sites:

· Aquarius – Purple Beach Group Site, North Fork Ranger District: Proposed fee of $15 per night and an additional $5 extra vehicle, per night fee for more than 2 vehicles. The adjacent day use picnic area will remain free to public use. 

· Cedar Flats Sewer Dump Station, Fenn Ranger Station, Moose Creek Ranger District: Proposed fee of $10 per use/waste dump.

· Elk River Day Use Picnic & Group Shelter, Palouse Ranger District: Proposed fee of $25 daily rental of the group day use facilities which includes a large group shelter with a maximum capacity of 150 persons and parking for 30 vehicles. Advance reservations for this site will be available through the National Recreation Reservation System.

· Fish Creek Group Site, Salmon River Ranger District: Proposed fee of $25 per night with a maximum capacity of 75 and 20 vehicles. Advance reservations for this site will be available through the National Recreation Reservation System.

· Gold Meadows Cabin Rental, Lochsa/Powell Ranger District: Proposed fee of $40 per night. Advance reservations for this site will be available through the National Recreation Reservation System.

· Liz Creek Cabin Rental, North Fork Ranger District: Proposed fee of $40 per night. Advance reservations for this site will be available through the National Recreation Reservation System.

· Lolo Creek Campground, Lochsa/Powell Ranger District: Proposed fee of $12 per night.

· Partridge Creek Campground, Palouse Ranger District; Proposed fee of $12 per night. 

· Scurvy Mountain Lookout Rental, North Fork Ranger District: Proposed fee of $45 per night. Advance reservations for this site will be available through the National Recreation Reservation System. 

· Wallow Mountain Lookout Rental, North Fork Ranger District: Proposed fee of $45 per night. Advance reservations for this site will be available through the National Recreation Reservation System. 

Additional construction is required at Partridge Creek Campground prior to implementation of proposed fee, and is planned to occur in 2017. No fee will be charged prior to completion. The four proposed cabin and fire lookout rentals have not been available for recreation use prior to this date. An analysis of nearby similar recreation sites indicates that the proposed sites and associated fees are in alignment with other offerings.

In 2004, Congress passed the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act which allows the Forest Service to retain 95 percent of fees collected at certain recreation sites and use these funds locally to operate and maintain and improve these sites. 

Forest managers will be accepting comments until October 14, 2016. For more information, questions or to provide comments about any of these fee change proposals, please contact Diana Jones at (208) 476-8239. You can mail comments to: Diana Jones, Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests, 12730 U.S. Highway 12, Orofino, ID 83544 or email comments to FS-comments-northern-clearwater.

Once public involvement is complete, this proposal and public comments will be presented to the Coeur d’Alene Bureau of Land Management Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) prior to a final decision and implementation.

Prescribed fire aims to reduce fire risk, improve elk habitat

Weather conditions permitting, fire managers plan to begin prescribed fire operations next week in the Barnard Junction and Moose Kelly project areas of the North Fork Ranger District. 

The planned area has remained relatively untouched by fire for almost a century. Applying fire in a controlled manner will reduce the risk of future catastrophic wildfires and provide better forage for declining elk herds and other wildlife species.

The prescribed burn has been scheduled to take advantage of the narrow window of opportunity for prescribed fire treatment available, as the area receives 30 to 60 inches of rain annually, and is compared to an inland rainforest.

The fire will be allowed to move and spread within the units until precipitation from a season-ending weather event occurs. Units targeted for treatment range from 150 acres to 2,050 acres.

Not every acre will burn, but the entire area will benefit from the increased vegetative diversity created by the managed fire. 

After fire managers perform a test burn, a helicopter, utilizing aerial ignition, will drop hundreds of chemical-filled plastic spheres that look like ping-pong balls onto ridges with stands of dead and dying timber in the target area. A chemical reaction causes the spheres to ignite on the ground and smolder until they light vegetation.

By varying the proportions of the chemical mix and the number of spheres dropped, fire managers can control the speed of ignition and the intensity of the prescribed fire. The fire will then be allowed to back downslope into wet drainages, reducing fire intensity. 

The targeted prescribed fire area burned during the historic 1910 and 1919 fires. Decades of fire suppression has left the area heavily forested with lodgepole pine and many of the trees in the area are dying from infestations of mountain pine beetle. Reducing the amount of available fuels aids in the reduction of potentially large, high intensity wildfires.

Thick tree canopies have prevented growth of forage required by big-game animals. The result has been an adverse effect of elk habitat in the area and elk populations dropping drastically over the past quarter century. Many plants respond favorably to fire and new growth will provide forage for wildlife.

Residents of Missoula and the Bitterroot Valley are likely to see smoke from the burn. Prescribed fire produces smoke, but the smoke is typically short-lived and managed to minimize impacts to communities.

Prescribed fire and other fuels treatments help to reduce the severity of wildfires and minimize adverse smoke impacts on public health and safety.

Over the next several weeks, the forest is planning several other prescribed fire projects in the North Fork and Lochsa/Powell Ranger Districts to reduce fuels and restore characteristics of a fire-adapted ecosystem. Prescribed fire treatments have not been implemented in these wetter areas since 2011.

Planned treatment areas are located within remote, roadless areas or areas with very limited road access. Staggering the prescribed fire treatments through the late fall reduces smoke impacts to local communities.

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.

Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests welcome holiday visitors

Wild and scenic rivers, lush forests and mountain vistas make the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests a natural choice for July 4, visitors.

Campsites

Dozens of campsites in several Forest Service campgrounds will be open for visitors. If you camp at a dispersed site, leave no trace of your stay. Use existing fire rings if available, and pack out your trash.

Most campgrounds offer first-come, first-serve site selection, but a few campgrounds have sites that you can reserve. Reserveable campsite options are: O’Hara Campground, located seven miles east of Lowell along Selway River Road; Fish Creek Group Site, eight miles south of Grangeville past the Fish Creek Meadows Campground; South Fork Group Use Site #5 at the South Fork Campground located on Highway 14, east of Grangeville; Wilderness Gateway, 49 miles east of Kooskia along U.S. Highway 12; Powell, 12 miles west of the Idaho-Montana state line along Highway 12; and Elk Creek, one mile north of Elk River. Call toll free at (877) 444-6777, or reserve online at www.recreation.gov.

Campgrounds with good access and sites for RV campers include O’Hara, Fish Creek, South Fork, Castle Creek, Spring Bar, Powell, Wendover and Whitehouse (a few miles west of Powell), Wilderness Gateway and Elk Creek. Powell and Elk Creek also have several electrical hookup sites.

A stay at Adams Ranger Cabin is a great alternative to camping. The fee is $50 per night with a minimum of two nights’ stay on weekends. To make reservations, visit the Adams Ranger Station information page at www.recreation.gov or call (877) 444-6777.

On the Powell Ranger District, Elk Summit Campground remains snow-covered in places, making the camp loops inaccessible. The Jerry Johnson Campground is closed for the season.

Along the North Fork Clearwater River, the popular Aquarius, Washington Creek, Noe Creek and Kelly Forks Campgrounds are up and running and waiting for Independence Day visitors.

Cedars Campground is also open and ready for happy, high-country campers. Hidden Creek Campground is inaccessible due to snowslide south of the campground, near Elizabeth Creek, and a large rockslide just north of Hidden Creek.

On the Palouse Ranger District, Giant White Pine, Laird Park and Little Boulder Campgrounds are great places to spend the long holiday weekend. If you’re planning a fun-filled 4th of July family get-together, the Palouse District also boasts three picnic sites that can be reserved.

Roads

On the Moose Creek Ranger District, Indian Hill Road 290 is closed to all motorized traffic due to a road failure. Falls Point Road 443 is open only to vehicles less than 50 inches. O’Hara/Hamby Road 651 is open to the snowline. All other roads on the district are open, with some snow at higher elevations.

The popular Magruder Corridor Road 468 is open to mile marker 10.5 on the west side and closed after that by snow. For updated information, call the Red River Ranger District at (208) 842-2245.

All roads on the Salmon River Ranger District are open except the Free Use Road 243, Nut Basin Road 441, Seven Devils Road 517, and Square Mountain/Gospel Road 444, are closed to the snowline.

All roads along the Highway 14 Corridor are open, except the historic Elk City Wagon Road 284.

On the North Fork Ranger District: Beaver Creek Road 247 is open from Headquarters to Bungalow. Forest Service Road 250, also called French Mountain Road, is open from Pierce to four miles north of the Kelly Forks Work Center. Deception Saddle Road 255 is open all the way to its northernmost junction with Road 250, three miles south of Cedars Campground. Toboggan Ridge Road 581 and Hoodoo Pass are still blocked by snow. Mush Saddle Road 711 and Cool Creek Road 5295 are closed because of logging activity in the area.

Lolo Motorway Road 500 and Elk Summit Road 360 remain closed due to snow. Call the Powell Ranger Station at (208) 942-3113 for updates.

Current road and trail conditions are located at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/nezperceclearwater/alerts-notices.

Trails

Many Forest trails below 6000 feet in elevation are snow-free and accessible, although visitors should be prepared to encounter high creek crossings, downed trees and debris. Check with your local ranger districts for a complete listing of trails that have been cleared to date.

For safety’s sake, and to protect sensitive plant life, trail users are asked to stay on trails. Always yield to stock.

Check out the new “2014 Go-To Guide for Popular Hiking Trails on the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests” at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/activity/nezperceclearwater/recreation/hiking.

Forest Service offices and visitor centers

Most Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests offices, with a few exceptions, will close Friday, July 4, in observance of the holiday. If you’re thinking of buying a firewood cutting and/or mushroom permit, America the Beautiful Senior Pass (Golden Age Passport) or a national forest visitor map to use over the holiday weekend, please be sure to stop by your nearest forest office prior to the close of business on Thursday, July 3.

The Lolo Pass Visitor Center at the Idaho-Montana state line along Highway 12 is open seven days a week, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific time. The visitor center will be open the 4th of July.

The Lochsa Historical Ranger Station, located 48 miles east of Kooskia along Highway 12, is open seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., through Labor Day. The LHRS will be open to welcome visitors on July 4.
 

Fire information

Please be careful and responsible with your cigarettes and campfires. Use existing fire rings if available. Make sure your campfire is completely out when you leave a campsite.

Fireworks are not allowed on the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests. The use of all fireworks and other pyrotechnic devices is prohibited on almost all national forests regardless of weather conditions or holidays.

For additional information, call the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests Supervisor’s Office in Kamiah at (208) 935-2513, or your local Forest Service Office. Or check online at http://www.fs.usda.gov/nezperce-clearwater.

Potlatch, DABCO, Clearwater Paper sued over Steep Corner Fire

The State of Idaho is suing an Idaho timber company and its contractor for their alleged involvement in the Steep Corner Fire two years ago; a fire that resulted in the death of 20-year-old firefighter Anne Veseth of Moscow, and burned more 310 acres north of Orofino.

The 56-acre fire began Aug. 10, 2012, 56 miles from Orofino, on a private logging site, and burned both public and private land.

The 11-page lawsuit alleges five counts of negligence and nuisance, and names Potlatch Land and Lumber, Potlatch Forest Holdings, Clearwater Paper Corp., Potlatch Corp., and DABCO Inc., a logging contractor based in Kamiah, as defendants.

The suit doesn’t specify a monetary amount, but does allege that the state spent more than $10,000 fighting the Steep Corner Fire.

According to the lawsuit, the fire began after an incident in which a DABCO logging crew used a cable yarding system that employed a mechanized carriage. The carriage had an internal combustion engine, and according to the suit, the carriage’s spark arrester did not meet Forest Service standards, which are required by law.

When a choker (used to carry logs beneath the carriage) broke while it was under high tension, the carriage swung violently and then flipped, spilling hot metal and carbon from the muffler into dry slash. Sparks from this allegedly caused the fire, according to an Idaho Department of Lands investigation.

The logging crew, despite its attempts to building a fire line and dump water on the fire, was unable to suppress the fire.

The Idaho Department of Lands, as part of an agreement with C-PTPA and the Forest Service, sent fire crews to control and suppress the blaze, thus incurring firefighting-related expenses, according the lawsuit.

The lawsuit alleges that the defendants used equipment that was illegal and not properly maintained, and that they failed to take precautions necessary to prevent a fire hazard.

It is unclear at this time why Clearwater Paper was named in the lawsuit.

Forest Service Plan Revision in the works

By Alannah Allbrett

Forest Supervisor, Rick Brazell was on hand in Orofino Sept. 11, to participate in a Forest Service Plan Revision meeting, facilitated by the University of Idaho.

The Nez Perce/ Clearwater National Forests were selected as one of eight “early adopters” of US National Forests, to be among the first to work on preparing a revised forest plan governing management and uses of the forests. The process will take a minimum of two years to complete and will be done with the participation of Idaho, Clearwater, and Latah Counties co-hosting meeting sessions.

In the two hour meeting at the Best Western Lodge at Rivers Edge, the emphasis was on forming a collaborative work group to hammer out suggestions in a series of team meetings which ultimately will be decided upon by Brazell and subsequently submitted to the Missoula, MT office.

Brazell said historically, the forest service formulated its own plans, and that has not been a successful model. Ideally, people with diverse points of view (on how the forest should be managed) will give input in the planning stages, rather than initiating law suits after- the-fact.

Brazell said that there are at least 21 designated groups, ranging from environmentalists who want roadless areas, to people who believe the forests should be worked. He said they are looking for committed people who will stay with the process until it is complete.

“It’s a matter of getting everybody together to figure out how to manage all the acres out there. I can’t give away the authority,” Brazell said, “but agreement makes the job easier.”

The U of I reps pointed out “cultural assumptions” people carry with them ranging from Utilitarian Views – working the land; Naturalistic Views – leaving some natural places alone; Stewardship Views – using and conserving land for the future; to Nez Perce Tribal Views – having a long-term relationship between natural and community health.

Planners will have to take those views into account, along with describing roles and contribution of the forests, identifying priority watersheds, identifying lands for recreation, identifying timber removal needs, and identifying the eligibility of rivers as wild scenic rivers.

Community orientation meetings such as the ones already held in Orofino and Grangeville, will next take place in Moscow (Sept. 25) at 1912 Center; Lolo, MT (Sept 27) at the Lolo Community Center, and in Lewiston (Oct 4) at the Red Lion Hotel.

Following the orientation meetings, a two and one-half day Forest Plan Summit will be held for participants October 26, 27, and 28, to initiate the collaborative process. The location has not yet been finalized, but will be held in either Orofino or Kamiah. Meeting specifics will be published once known.

The summit is open to both observers, who could not attend the orientation meetings, and to highly committed individuals who are willing to be a part of the revision process for the entire two year period.

Supervisor Brazell has been at this for 34 years and is looking forward to the day when he can retire and spend more time with his grandchildren. He said his passion is for the land, and wants to see this through and be “the first forest in the nation to get this done and get everybody’s interests met the best we can.”

Resource Damage at Fish Creek and Milner Areas

Unknown individuals in a full size vehicle bypassed the posted sign and mudbogged in this creek behind site #8 at Fish Creek Campground. They created a diversion in the main stream course and broke down the stream banks.

This mudbogging site was found off the Milner Trail, where extensive damage occurred in a meadow. 

Grangeville - Forest Service law enforcement officers are asking for any information pertaining to the mudbogging damage in the areas behind Fish Creek Campground and the Milner Trail. 

Two weekends ago, unknown individuals in a full size vehicle bypassed the posted sign and mudbogged in the creek behind site #8 at Fish Creek Campground. They created a diversion in the main stream course and broke down the stream banks. They created a loop that encompasses the first wooden bridge. 

Another mudbogging site was also found off the Milner Trail where extensive damage occurred in a meadow. Persons with knowledge of any information associated with this recent resource damage, are to contact Jill Forth, Law Enforcement Officer, at 208-983-4054.

Forest reps meet with commissioners

By Alannah Allbrett

The U.S. Forest Service travel plan proposal, to close over 200 miles of trails for motorized vehicles, is being challenged by Clearwater County Commissioners who filed an appeal with the forest service Feb. 22. County Commissioner Stan Leach said an appeal is designed to stop an action, and it’s the first time since he became a commissioner in 2003, that they have had the need to do that. “Typically, we want them to do more than they are doing, not less,” said Leach.

Explaining how the forest service process works, Leach said “When a travel plan is enacted, that’s the direction the forest is going to take for the life of the plan. You can challenge their decision or identify a certain portion of it as flawed. There may be certain things they didn’t envision when the 1987 plan was adopted,” said Leach, and that’s why the county is filing an appeal.

In an attempt to hear the issues and see if some things can be solved easily, Forest Service Supervisor Rick Brazell met last week with Clearwater County’s three commissioners, the county’s Prosecuting Attorney, E. Clayne Tyler, Sheriff Chris Goetz, and Alan Deyo (who has filed a separate appeal as a private citizen). Representatives from Idaho County were included in the meeting via a telephone conference call. Idaho County has filed a joint appeal to protect their interests in the trail system.

Both counties are heavily dependent upon recreational and tourism dollars, which include the use of motorcycles on the many backcountry trails. Leach pointed out that motorcycle riders are chiefly the ones maintaining those trails in useable condition. “If those trails are closed,” said Leach, “all that goes away.” Ironically, if a trail falls into disuse and is no longer maintained, then it eventually gets pulled off of forest service maps – from lack of use. It’s a “Catch 22” situation.

When asked how the county can survive with these kinds of land use restrictions, Leach said, “We’ll always survive, but each tool helps our economy. By doing this, they are taking away one more tool when we are trying to get our economy going. Things like this just restrict us and make it a lot harder to do our jobs. We would love nothing more than to be able to pay our own way.”

Leach characterized the meeting as a respectful one and noted that “Brazell does not have a lot of wiggle room. He has to listen to all 20 appeals (from both sides of the issue) and then send his findings along to Region I headquarters in Missoula, MT. I have a lot of respect for him; there is not a whole lot he is going to be able to do. They will notify us of their decision. We are in a kind of ‘wait and see mode’ right now,” said Leach.

If trails are closed, the only course remaining for Clearwater County is to consider filing a legal suit.