USFS proposes wildfire mitigation project

SANDPOINT — The U.S. Forest Service is aiming to address local wildfire risk through "Sandpoint South" — a proposed 2026 initiative to thin approximately 8,334 acres of public forest within a 174,000-acre project area in southern Bonner County. 

The suggested project would also include about 100 miles of road maintenance, construction and reconstruction in areas near the southwest shore of Lake Pend Oreille. The USFS is accepting public comments regarding the initiative through April 21. 

Agencies like the USFS periodically remove hazardous fuels including deadfall and dense vegetation from forests so that if a wildfire occurs, it’s less severe and easier to manage. For Sandpoint South, staff would cut down trees and other vegetation in areas near Garfield Bay, Talache Landing, Bayview and Cocolalla and either burn or harvest the material. 

“Many units identified for treatment have overstocked understories of shade-tolerant conifers and shrub species that would pose a significant threat to increased fire intensity,” Jennifer Cinq-Mars, Sandpoint South project leader, told the Daily Bee. 

The project is currently in the scoping phase to garner public input. This summer, staff will facilitate another round of public comments before completing an environmental assessment in the fall. 

The USFS would begin road construction and rehabilitation in spring 2026 and perform fuels reduction in three phases, beginning near Bayview, working north along the lakeshore and concluding west of Highway 95 near Cocolalla. 

In addition to mitigating wildfire risk, the USFS intends for the project to improve the general resilience of Bonner County’s forests. 

Cinq-Mars said the initiative would likely include efforts to shift forest composition away from the overly-abundant Douglas fir and toward more fire-, insect- and disease-resistant species like the ponderosa pine, western larch and western white pine. 

Sandpoint South’s road reconstruction component would also include efforts to enhance the water quality of streams feeding Lake Pend Oreille. 

“During field surveys, several road-stream crossings with high sedimentation were identified, which could be improved by improving roads and replacing culverts within the project area,” Cinq-Mars said. 

During implementation, residents could experience reduced access to certain roads under construction or in use by heavy vehicles. 

The project’s prescribed burns could also temporarily worsen air quality, though personnel plan to consider weather forecasts and smoke dispersion conditions to minimize the impact. 

In the long term, the USFS predicts that Sandpoint South will result in reduced wildfire risk to area residents and the communities within the project area. 

Additional information and a comment form are available on the project website at fs.usda.gov/project/ipnf/?project=67684. 

    Sandpoint South is slated to affect selected parcels of public property within a 174,000-acre zone in southern Bonner County.