Meeting set on prescribed burn
This shows some of the area where the Idaho Panhandle National Forests is proposing a prescribed burn project in 112,000-acre Granite Fuels project in the southeastern corner of the St. Joe Ranger District in Shoshone County.
Photo courtesy U.S. Forest Service
The St. Joe Ranger District has scheduled a project open house at the Silver Valley Office, 173 Commerce Drive in Smelterville, from 4 to 6 p.m. Nov. 7 on a prescribed burn project.
The Idaho Panhandle National Forests is proposing a prescribed burn project in the 112,000-acre Granite Fuels project area in the southeastern corner of the St. Joe Ranger District in Shoshone County, a press release said.
Most of the project area consists of Recommended Wilderness and Backcountry areas. About 90% of the area is National Forest System lands. The remaining area is Idaho Department of Fish and Game’s Snow Peak Wildlife Management Area, which is managed by the Idaho Panhandle National Forest as backcountry.
The Granite Fuels project is in the analysis phase, and an Environmental Assessment has been prepared. Objectives are to reduce the risk of uncharacteristically severe wildfire and influence how wildfire and other disturbances shape the landscape, the release said.
The Forest Service is proposing to authorize prescribed burns on up to 10,000 acres per year over the next 10 years. The project will not include timber harvest or road construction, the release said.
Browse conditions for big game species would be improved by regenerating shrubs as well as increasing palatable shrub, grass and forb availability. Heavy concentrations of dead and down fuel would be reduced, "allowing greater probability of controlling fires that display severe fire behavior," the release said. Stand density would be reduced, which in turn would improve resiliency to large scale outbreaks of insects and disease in the future.
Info: Jennifer Cinq-Mars at jennifer.cinq-mars@usda.gov or 406-499-4332
The comment period closes Nov. 14.