Comment sought on USFS project

The Idaho Panhandle National Forests is seeking public comments on the Camp Robin Project located on the Bonners Ferry Ranger District.

The public comment period is open for 30 days, with comments accepted through Jan. 19. Project information and instructions on how to comment are available on the Idaho Panhandle National Forests website at fs.usda.gov/project/?project=51551.

Public comments help guide the project. Please focus your comments on the proposed action and include rationale to help us understand your concerns. The Bonners Ferry Ranger District will be hosting an open house meeting at the Boundary County Extension Office on Thursday, January 4, from 6-8 p.m. at 6447 Kootenai St., Bonners Ferry, Idaho.

Camp Robin is a vegetation management project designed to address hazardous fuels, forest health and resilience, wildlife habitat, watershed health and recreation management concerns. Within the 42,000-acre project area, approximately 380 acres are proposed for prescribed burning and about 6,200 acres for commercial vegetation management.

The project was developed in collaboration with the Kootenai Valley Resource Initiative to complement other landscape restoration work in the Lower Kootenai River Valley. The KVRI collaborative consists of the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho, Boundary County, city of Bonners Ferry, private citizens, landowners, federal and state agencies, conservation/environmental advocacy groups, and representatives of business and industry. Kevin Knauth, Bonners Ferry District Ranger, would like to thank all of the stakeholders involved in the project planning efforts. Please contact Doug Nishek, Project Team Leader, at dnishek@fs.fed.us or 208-267-5561 with any questions about this project.