Sorry, garnet diggers
ST. MARIES — Garnet digging, a popular summer activity in the St. Maries area, will be on hold most or all of this summer.
A new road will be built so garnet-bearing material can be hauled in.
"We will not have an exact date for the road to be completed as it really will depend on weather conditions," said Shoshana Cooper, Forest Service spokeswoman.
"We will need that dry weather in order for the road to stabilize enough to haul on. I’m hesitant to say that there will not be any garnet digging at all this year as it will depend on when the road construction is complete."
The St. Joe Ranger District’s Emerald Creek Garnet Area will reopen once the construction of a new road is complete.
Garnet material had been excavated from 281 Gulch until the material source was exhausted in 2018.
The Forest Service excavates and transports garnet material to the Emerald Creek Garnet Area to provide a safe recreational opportunity and for water resource protection.
A new area on the district has been identified as a viable material source and is expected to provide garnet-bearing material for years to come. An environmental analysis was completed to construct a road to access the new site.
The construction of the road will begin as soon as soil conditions are dry enough to operate, likely June or July.
"I know there will be disappointed visitors this year, but I’m optimistic that the work we can accomplish this summer will set us up for more consistency in providing garnet material in future years," said Christine Plourde, recreation manager on the St. Joe Ranger District. "We look forward to reopening the Emerald Creek Garnet Area as soon as possible."
The Emerald Creek Garnet Area typically receives around 6,000 visitors every summer. It’s one of two locations in the world where the star garnet is found readily.
The star garnet became the official Idaho state gem in 1967, and is a hallmark of the "Gem State."
For more information on the Emerald Creek Garnet Area, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/ipnf or contact the St. Joe Ranger District at 208-245-2531.