SUMMER FUELS MANAGEMENT

District Ranger outlines fuels reduction plans.

North Fork District Ranger Ken Gebhardt and Salmon/Cobalt/Leadore District Ranger Kyra Povirk presented the latest information on forest activities to the March 3 meeting of the Salmon City Council. The tag-team’s 40 minute presentation covered the topics of timber sales, fuels reduction projects, prescribed burning, the Williams Farm Bill, mineral activities and recreation.

Gebhardt said the Williams Farm Bill sale is very likely to start this year. He said Gary England purchased a sale in the Lost Trail area and will be starting the harvest soon. Several past timber sale purchases will be continuing harvest activities this year as the entire timber industry is gearing up for the harvest season. He said the Williams Farm Bill harvest is part of the Salmon Municipal Watershed fuels reduction project where two years ago 10 acres were treated and last year an additional 10 acres were treated. He anticipates another 10 to 20 acres of fuel will be treated this year. Hazardous fuels reduction work on a 23,000-acre area along the Stormy Peak Road is slated to begin this year.

Gebhardt also said that during public comment periods on proposed fuel reduction projects much valuable information was received from the public and will be incorporated in final decisions. Included in the comments were concerns about public access, firewood cutting, grazing rights, preserving established roads, policies on decommissioning roads and preserving stands of old growth forest. He said a team will take those comment and analyze them as they move into the next phase of the project.

Last year there were no prescribed burns on the forest due to COVID-19. This year several small burns are planned consisting of piled timber in the North Fork and Gibbonsville areas.

He listed forest events for the year as; the Beaverhead Endurance Run on July 10, Rally in the Pines has sent an application for July 17 which is being reviewed and June 19 is set for the Salmon Fire Department Buzz Wing Memorial Poker Fun Run.

Povirk began her presentation with the Great American Outdoor Act (GAOA) which funds deferred maintenance projects for five years. She said she is open to hear proposals for how to spend the money. She said some examples of appropriate projects in the works are trail and road maintenance on Forest Service property, recreation site maintenance, road maintenance and other projects beneficial to the public use. Ideas already proposed include the Williams Lake Road from Capps ranch down, 20 miles of the Williams Creel Road, a portion of the Iron Creek Road, the Ridge Road, and the Rattlesnake Road.

Several suggestions came from the council and Povirk encouraged submitting proposals which are due later this month.

As far as mineral activity in the Cobalt/Leadore district there is a lot of it with exploration of creeks and beginnings of the NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) process on some projects.

The main interest is in gold, copper and cobalt. That morning cobalt was listed at $23.95 a pound which is a 52-week high. Povirk said the Jervois company is planning on further site development at the Cobalt Mine this Spring and will be hiring from outside the area for the resources they need. Povirk said there is other mineral interest and development of Plans of Operation going on throughout the district and Revival Gold will start drilling operations at the old Bear Track Mine soon.

Further information may be obtained at the Salmon/Challis Forest Service headquarters on Highway 93 South. FOREST NEWS 3-3-21 LMS

North Fork District Ranger Ken Gebhardt and Salmon/Cobalt/Leadore District Ranger Kyra Povirk presented the latest information on forest activities to the March 3 meeting of the Salmon City Council. The tag-team’s 40 minute presentation covered the topics of timber sales, fuels reduction projects, prescribed burning, the Williams Farm Bill, mineral activities and recreation.

Gebhardt said the Williams Farm Bill sale is very likely to start this year. He said Gary England purchased a sale in the Lost Trail area and will be starting the harvest soon. Several past timber sale purchases will be continuing harvest activities this year as the entire timber industry is gearing up for the harvest season. He said the Williams Farm Bill harvest is part of the Salmon Municipal Watershed fuels reduction project where two years ago 10 acres were treated and last year an additional 10 acres were treated. He anticipates another 10 to 20 acres of fuel will be treated this year. Hazardous fuels reduction work on a 23,000-acre area along the Stormy Peak Road is slated to begin this year.

Gebhardt also said that during public comment periods on proposed fuel reduction projects much valuable information was received from the public and will be incorporated in final decisions. Included in the comments were concerns about public access, firewood cutting, grazing rights, preserving established roads, policies on decommissioning roads and preserving stands of old growth forest. He said a team will take those comment and analyze them as they move into the next phase of the project.

Last year there were no prescribed burns on the forest due to COVID-19. This year several small burns are planned consisting of piled timber in the North Fork and Gibbonsville areas.

He listed forest events for the year as; the Beaverhead Endurance Run on July 10, Rally in the Pines has sent an application for July 17 which is being reviewed and June 19 is set for the Salmon Fire Department Buzz Wing Memorial Poker Fun Run.

Povirk began her presentation with the Great American Outdoor Act (GAOA) which funds deferred maintenance projects for five years. She said she is open to hear proposals for how to spend the money. She said some examples of appropriate projects in the works are trail and road maintenance on Forest Service property, recreation site maintenance, road maintenance and other projects beneficial to the public use. Ideas already proposed include the Williams Lake Road from Capps ranch down, 20 miles of the Williams Creel Road, a portion of the Iron Creek Road, the Ridge Road, and the Rattlesnake Road.

Several suggestions came from the council and Povirk encouraged submitting proposals which are due later this month.

As far as mineral activity in the Cobalt/Leadore district there is a lot of it with exploration of creeks and beginnings of the NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) process on some projects.

The main interest is in gold, copper and cobalt. That morning cobalt was listed at $23.95 a pound which is a 52-week high. Povirk said the Jervois company is planning on further site development at the Cobalt Mine this Spring and will be hiring from outside the area for the resources they need. Povirk said there is other mineral interest and development of Plans of Operation going on throughout the district and Revival Gold will start drilling operations at the old Bear Track Mine soon.

Further information may be obtained at the Salmon/Challis Forest Service headquarters on Highway 93 South.