Rosie Cedar project aims to improve forest health

COEUR d'ALENE — A 14,000-acre forest health project that includes logging has received a green light from the U.S. Forest Service.

The work is not expected to impact wolverines, which have reportedly been seen in the area.

The Rosie Cedar site is located along the south side of the Interstate 90 corridor between Highway 97 and Highway 3 on the Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District of the Idaho Panhandle National Forests.

USFS has prepared a decision notice and finding of "no significant impact," according to a press release.

"The project is designed to improve forest health and resiliency to disturbances, such as insects, disease, drought and high-severity wildfire," the release said. "Under the proposed action, forest health improvements would be achieved through vegetation treatments like regeneration timber harvest, pre-commercial thinning and prescribed fire."

Those activities would take place on about 4,200 acres within the overall project area.

Logging would occur on about 3,400 acres, and prescribed fire is planned in harvest-treatment units, to deal with excess activity fuels, the release said.

According to the environmental-assessment report, "wolverines have been recorded in and near the Rosie Cedar project."

"Based on wildlife analysis, the proposed action may cause wolverine to avoid areas where implementation is actively occurring. Disturbance, however, would be temporary and short in distance," the report said.

"The proposed action is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of the North American wolverine," it said.