Forest Owners Field Day is June 12

ATHOL - An Idaho-Washington Forest Owners Field Day planned June 12 near Athol will focus on practices that maintain or improve the Spokane Valley - Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer.

The field day will feature short outdoor educational segments and exhibits for new and experienced owners of forested parcels covering an acre or more.

The Cedar Mountain Farm just east of the Silverwood Theme Park near Athol will be the site of the field day. Additional directions to the site can be found at www.cedarmountainfarm.com.

The gates to the farm will open at 8 a.m. Presentations will take place hourly in the morning beginning at 9 and in the afternoon at 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30. A Longhorn Barbecue lunch will be offered on-site for $10 and should be ordered by June 4.

Forests play a critical role in both the quantity and quality of the aquifer's water supply, said University of Idaho Extension forester Chris Schnepf at Coeur d'Alene.

The exhibits and more than 25 presentations will address forest health assessment, wildlife habitat enhancement, wildfire risk reduction, hydrology and forest water quality, native plant identification, working with consulting foresters, edible wild mushrooms, Native American land uses and timber sale management.

Participants are asked to preregister for the field day by June 4. A program guide and registration form is available from local University of Idaho Extension or Washington State University Extension offices or online at bit.ly/cor9yN.

Advance registration is $20 per person or $30 for two or more in the same party. On-site registration will be $30 per person or $40 per family. Mobility assistance will be available if requested in advance.

More information about the program and field day is available by contacting Chris Schnepf, University of Idaho Extension forester, at the Kootenai County Extension office at 1808 North Third St. in Coeur d'Alene by phone at (208) 446-1680 or e-mail at cschnepf@uidaho.edu.