Forest Service reminds forest road users of upcoming seasonal closures

Fall and winter — and hunting season — are quickly approaching, the Idaho Panhandle National Forests want to remind those using forest roads to check Motor Vehicle Use Maps before heading out, as many annual and seasonal road closures will be going into effect soon.  

Seasonal closures help reduce stress on wildlife going into colder months, according to a press release put out by the U.S. Forest Service. By keeping motorized vehicles out of these areas, disturbances during critical mid-winter periods are minimized. This allows wildlife to conserve energy that would otherwise be expended fleeing motor use areas.  

Closures in the Bonners Ferry, Priest Lake and Sandpoint districts are necessary to secure habitat needs for grizzly bears, it explained in the press release. Closures in the Coeur d’Alene River and St. Joe districts focus on elk habitat security.  

“We understand that road and trail closures can be an inconvenience for all users of the forest,” says Matt Slifko, district wildlife biologist for the Coeur d’Alene River Ranger District. “But these closures are there for the benefit both of large game species including elk, and the people who hunt them; as well as to other large species like grizzly bears that require vast non-motorized landscapes.” 

Gates will be locked to secure seasonally closed forest roads, but non-motorized access will remain open to the public. Up-to-date Motor Vehicle Use Maps are available online to check for closures ahead of time; they are also available for free at ranger stations.