The Partnership Saw Classes will be held at the following locations:
Boise Bike Project: 1027 S Lusk St, Boise, ID 83706 (208) 429-6520 May 20, 2017
Garden Valley: Project Patch 25 Miracle Ln, Garden Valley, ID 83622 May 24 and 25 200pm-6pm
Upon completion of the classroom portion, Boise National forest Trail personnel will field certify the class participants during each groups project work day. Participants are responsible for completing an approved CPR/ First wAid Class (American Heart or Red Cross) for their certifications to be valid.
Please send me a tentative (I know things change) list of attendees.
Looking forward to seeing you at the class.
I have been receiving many questions about the current Saw Policy regarding volunteers/partners. Below is a link to the USFS website that has detailed information and frequently asked questions. If you need anything further please let me know.
Thanks again for all the help.
https://www.fs.fed.us/about-agency/regulations-policies/saw-policy
John Hidy
North Zone Trails Program Supervisor
Forest Service
Boise National Forest
p: 208-259-3361 x7539
f: 208-259-3366
jhidy02@fs.fed.us
John (jhidy02@fs.fed.us ) has been our primary contact when planning trail projects and Sawyer training in the Boise National Forest for a number of years. June 8, 2017 will be his last day with the BNF, as he has accepted a job in the 4-Corners area of Colorado to be closer to his aging father. We will miss John on the forest, and wish him well at his new position.
Charlie Jarvis (North Zone Trails Forman) & Mathue Fasching (Recreation Program Manager) with be splinting John’s duties in 2017 and will serve as our points of contact on the forest.
Take Action! – Voice your opinion – BCHA Alerts
National Forest System Trails Stewardship Act Signed into Law
Public Law 114-245: National Forest System Trails Stewardship Act, was signed by President Obama on November 28, 2016. We did it! BCHA, our partners and “Trails bill” sponsors have brought national attention to the trail maintenance backlog on our national forests. There is much more work ahead, however, as the agency has yet to enjoy increased funding and capacity to fully realize the goals of this new law.
The National Forest Service Trail Stewardship Act of 2015 (H.R.845 S.1110). See other related news – National Forest Trail Maintenance Legislation H.R. 845 Passes House.
Back Country Horsemen of America(BCHA), The American Horse Council(AHC) , and the Wilderness Society were significantly involved in the creation and passage of this bill. This follows House passage of the bill earlier this fall. The bill, introduced by Representatives Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Tim Walz (D-MN) and Senators Mike Enzi (R-WY) and Michael Bennet (D-CO), would direct the Forest Service to take several actions to help address the current trail maintenance backlog that is adversely impacting all trail users on many National Forests, including equestrians.
BCHA is pleased National Forest System Trails Stewardship Act Signed into Law. The BCHA would like to thank Representatives Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Tim Walz (D-MN) and Senators Mike Enzi (R-WY) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) for their leadership and work to pass this bill.
The bill directs the Forest Service to develop a strategy to more effectively utilize volunteers and partners to assist in maintaining national forest trails. It will also provide outfitters and guides the ability to perform trail maintenance activities in lieu of permit fees. Additionally, the bill will address a liability issue that has discouraged some national forests from utilizing volunteers and partner organizations to help perform trail maintenance and will direct the Forest Service to identify and prioritize specific areas with the greatest need for trail maintenance in the national forest system. This bill will help improve trail maintenance without the need for additional funding.
Take Action! – Voice your opinion – BCHA Alerts
Volunteer Service Hours
Trail work is the mainstay of our mission. Every chapter participates in some way to help keep trails open. For last year in 2016 we had another high year with just over 13.4 million dollars worth of volunteer dollars donated with over 341,502 volunteer hours from 31 different states. Throughout the year this included just under 11,461 stock were used while volunteering plus over 1.9 million travel miles. Thanks again to all the BCHA members who tirelessly volunteer keeping our public trails open.
Here are the number of hours and their calculated value for the work that BCHA members have done over the last 20 years. The total for 21 years is 4,773,583 hours for a total donated dollar value of $139,805,692. Wow!! Thanks BCHA Members for all your hard work.
If the sight of a tick makes your skin crawl—even if it’s not crawling on your skin— you’re not alone. That feeling is founded on more than a natural aversion to arachnids; diseases transmitted by ticks can pose a real health threat. With Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) maps outlining tick ranges throughout the majority of the United States, it’s important we brush up on our understanding of tick-borne diseases. In this article we’ll take a look at the three that pose the biggest risk to horses: Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, and piroplasmosis.
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Dear Interested Party:
The Forest Service has completed the Environmental Assessment (EA) for the South Pioneer Fire Salvage and Reforestation Project and is seeking public comment on this EA during the 30-day notice and comment period. The South Pioneer Project is located in Boise County approximately 18 miles northeast of Idaho City, Idaho, and 48 miles northeast of Boise, Idaho. The Project Area covers approximately 39,100 acres in the Boise River watershed. The EA is available on the Project web page: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=50694. If you would prefer a hard copy of the EA, please contact John Riling, Team Leader, at jriling@fs.fed.us or by phone at 208-373-4171. A summary document containing the Agency’s response to comments received during the February 2017 scoping period is also available on the project website.
Project Description
The South Pioneer Fire Salvage and Reforestation Project proposes cutting hazard trees along NFS roads and trails, reforesting areas, decommissioning unauthorized routes, and salvaging additional trees killed by the wildfire to recover economic value to support restoration work. Salvage harvest activities are anticipated to begin in early summer 2017 and be completed by the end of the 2018 operating season, while activities such as reforestation would continue for approximately 10 years.
Immediate implementation is essential to successfully accomplish project purpose and need (e.g., address hazard trees that pose risks to public health and safety this next recreation season). Therefore, the Boise National Forest will request an emergency situation determination (ESD) to facilitate immediate implementation of the proposed activities during the 2017 field season. Only the Chief and Associate Chief of the Forest Service may grant an ESD (36 CFR 218.21(a)).
An emergency situation at 36 CFR 218.21(b) is defined as follows.
A situation on National Forest System (NFS) lands for which immediate implementation of a decision is necessary to achieve one or more of the following:
1. Relief from hazards threatening human health and safety
2. Mitigation of threats to natural resources on NFS or adjacent lands
3. Avoiding a loss of commodity value sufficient to jeopardize the agency’s ability to accomplish project objectives directly related to resource protection or restoration.
If the Chief decides this project qualifies for an ESD, the project will be exempt from the pre-decisional objection process (36 CFR 218). This exemption will allow us to implement the project as soon as the environmental analysis is completed and the decision is signed. Providing for immediate implementation following completion of the environment review allows the Boise National Forest to remove hazards safely, complete associated resource protection/restoration projects, and capture enough commodity value to market some of the trees. Often, if material proposed for removal cannot be sold, many of the project’s objectives cannot be met.
We recognize the importance of the public involvement process for this project and am aware that, should an ESD be approved, the expedited emergency procedure alters the structure of that process. Thus, as has been done since the fall of 2016, I will continue to employ a variety of communication options to share and receive information from interested parties. Visit the Pioneer Fire website at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/boise/home/?cid=fseprd530485 for up-to-date information.
How to Provide Comment
The Forest Service is contacting interested persons, groups, and agencies to make them aware of the project and to gather pertinent feedback. To be most useful, please make your comments as specific as possible.
Electronic, written, hand-delivered, and facsimile comments concerning this project will be accepted. Comments may be submitted through the South Pioneer Fire Salvage and Reforestation Project webpage at https://cara.ecosystem-management.org/Public//CommentInput?Project=50694.
Email comments must be submitted in a format such as an email message, plain text (.txt), rich text format (.rtf), Adobe (.pdf) and Word (.doc) to: comments-intermtn-boise-idaho-city@fs.fed.us. Please put “South Pioneer” in the subject line of e-mail comments. Comments must have an identifiable name attached or verification of identity will be required. A scanned signature may serve as verification on electronic comments.
Written comments must be submitted to: Boise National Forest, Idaho City Ranger District, Attention: Brant Petersen, District Ranger, 3833 Highway 21, P.O. Box 129, Idaho City, Idaho 83631 or faxed to (208) 392-6684. The office hours for those submitting hand-delivered comments are: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Comments received in response to this request will be available for public inspection in the “Public Comment Reading Room” on the project webpage and will be released in their entirety, if requested, pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act.
Written, facsimile, hand-delivered, and electronic comments concerning this action will be accepted for 30 calendar days following the publication of the legal notice in the Idaho Statesman, the newspaper of record. The publication date of the legal notice in the newspaper of record is the exclusive means for calculating the comment period. Those wishing to comment should not rely upon dates or timeframe information provided by any other source. The regulations prohibit extending the length of the comment period. The legal notice will be posted on the project website within 4 calendar days of publication in the newspaper of record.
Stay Connected to this Project via the Web
To assist the Forest Service in meeting its goals of reducing our carbon footprint and to achieve a sustainable operation, we are transitioning to a web-based electronic comment system that allows all interested parties to receive project material (project updates, draft and final NEPA documents, and decisions) by e-mail. This new system gives you direct control over which mailing lists you are subscribed to and immediate electronic access to project documents as they are posted online. It’s easy, it’s good for the environment, and it gives “on-demand” access to projects.
To subscribe to this new system, go online to the South Pioneer Fire Salvage and Reforestation Project webpage: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=50694. On the project website, you will see a box titled “Get Connected” on the right hand side of the page. Click on “Subscribe to Email Updates”. When you click on that item, you will be prompted to provide your e-mail address and select a password. When you have logged in, you will be able to manage your account by subscribing to projects by Forest, District, project type, or project purpose. You will also be able to change your e-mail address and password. If you no longer wish to follow the project(s), simply delete your subscription. Once you are subscribed, you will receive all project information via e-mail, unless you request hard copies.
Only those who subscribe to the mailing list, submit comments, or notify the Forest that they would like to remain on the mailing list for this project will receive future correspondences on this project. Comments submitted anonymously will be accepted and considered; however, without an associated name and address, receiving further correspondences concerning this project will not be possible.
For further information on the project, please contact Brant Petersen, Idaho City District Ranger at 208-392-6681 or bpetersen02@fs.fed.us, or John Riling, Team Leader at 208-373-4171 or jriling@fs.fed.us.
Sincerely,
Melissa Yenko
Acting Forest Planner
Boise National Forest
1249 S. Vinnell Way, Suite 200
Boise, ID 83709
Phone: 208-373-4245
Email: myenko@fs.fed.us