Critical habitat delays timber harvest

BONNERS FERRY  — Nearly four million board feet of timber won’t be commercially thinned from the Twentymile area this summer because of a technicality on lynx critical habitat.

The Twentymile environmental assessment has been delayed because the Forest Plan revision for the Idaho Panhandle Forest has not been signed yet.

 The original Forest Plan overestimated the critical habitat of lynx when it was first listed because there was not a lot of science information about the animal at the time, said Bonners Ferry District Ranger Linda McFadden.

With emerging science, the Idaho Panhandle remapped the lynx critical habitat and greatly reduced the number of acres.

“We feel we are covered, but it is a technicality,” said McFadden. “The supervisor and regional office wanted to review the analysis to ensure it would stand the test of court ruling.”

The Twentymile project is one of six projects the U.S. Forest Service is working on under the CFLRP (Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Project) plan.

 The other five projects include the Idaho Buckhorn, Kreist Creek, Hellroaring Creek, Boulder Creek and Deer Creek. These projects are scheduled to be implemented starting next year through fiscal year 2016.

Each year the USFS has targets they need to meet under the CFLRP plan for different categories.

This year, the USFS plans on 0.5 mmbf of regeneration harvest on Leonia; 108 acres of reforestation in the Borderline Stew and Haller Down units; and 250 acres of pre-commercial thinning on Italian Peak, Stampede, Ruby Cooper Hellroaring and Russell Flats units.

Forest Service crews conducted prescribed burns in Borderline Stew, Ruby Copper, and Rutledge units this spring. The Stampede prescribed burn area was too dry this spring for burning.

“There is still opportunity to do more this fall in the Buckhorn Restoration Burn,” said McFadden.

Invasive plant management is occurring district-wide on 400 acres, along with 30 miles of road maintenance.

Three miles of road is slated to be decommissioned and converted into a trail in the East Fork of Meadow Creek area. The target of 30 miles of road maintenance has already been accomplished this summer.

Culvert upgrades will also occur on the Roman Nose, Miller Creek and Meadow Creek roads.

Roadside salvage equating to two million board feet is being postponed for the Ball Creek, Trout Creek, and Myrtle Creek area roads.

“The cost of marking is too much,” said McFadden. “We have to make it economically feasible. A little volume for a high cost to put together.”