By Jerry Painter – The Post Register
Each year in late summer/early fall, chinook salmon travel more than 800 miles back from the ocean to scoop out gravel nests in the small streams of the central Idaho wilderness and deposit their eggs.
Idaho Fish and Game biologists are literally hovering over the streams and taking notes.
Fish and Game recently completed its 460-mile aerial helicopter survey of chinook salmon redds in the Frank Church – River of No Return Wilderness along the Middle Fork of the Salmon River and its tributaries. For five straight days, biologists flew at tree-top height above streams to count redds. What they found was encouraging.
Biologists counted 467 nests, better than last year’s 161.
“It’s a definite improvement over last year,” said fisheries biologist Conor McClure who participated in the count. “Still below the (average) of the past 25 years. That’s kind of the way it goes. You have peaks and valleys. It was up this year, and we hope it will continue.”
Redd numbers have peaked at more than 2,000 back in 2003. The past four years have seen counts plummet to a few hundred or less. Last year’s count of 161 was one of the lowest since the surveys began. Fish and Game said information collected during the surveys helps make predictions about future returns, monitor trends over time, and guide management decisions.
McClure said recent alarms of plunging salmon numbers have Idaho Fish and Game working to improve habitat to help chinook produce more fish.
“One thing I can say that we are doing here and have been doing for a long time is habitat improvement,” he said. “There has been some research that has indicated that one thing that could benefit the population that we can control on our end is natal habitat for juvenile chinook.”
McClure said projects to improve nursery streams for fish are underway in the Lemhi, North Fork of the Salmon and Pahsimeroi rivers and tributaries.
“There are a lot of factors that affect (salmon),” he said. “Commercial fishing, dams in terms of out-migrating and return has an influence, ocean conditions, recreational fishing, predation, things that can and do affect them. On our end our big thing is restoring habitat.”
Salmon deposit 4,000 to 15,000 eggs in each redd, but after hatching and traveling to the ocean and back through a gauntlet of hazards, “only a handful return from each redd,” McClure said.
“It’s a numbers game for fish,” he said. “That’s how they do it. Instead of having one young to nurture to the ocean and back, they throw out a bunch of eggs so that some will make it back. In terms of biology, if they are at least replacing themselves, then it works. If they do better than that, the population grows.”
The Board of Directors is excited to announce that Melanie Vining has accepted the position as ITA’s new Executive Director! Melanie is a backcountry enthusiast with a strong passion for hiking, Idaho’s public lands, and helping to keep our trails open. She lives in Council with her husband Dave and two sons Wyatt and Wade. Her diverse background includes serving as a high school teacher, working for the Forest Service early on as a smokejumper and later as a zone hydrologist. She was instrumental in creating the Council High School Youth Crew, teaching youth life skills while helping assist the forest on projects. Melanie has also served on several Boards of non-profits. She began working with ITA in 2019 as a crew leader for our first Youth Trail Crew trip and has been an active ITA volunteer since then. Melanie brings a solid set of leadership skills to the job and the Board and Staff are looking forward to working with her starting in early January. Welcome to the ITA family, Melanie!
Three Blaze Trail
December 3, 6pm PST/ 7pm MST
Join the Payette National Forest Heritage Program for a virtual presentation on the Three Blaze Trail. Built in 1902 by homesteaders and horsemen, the trail delivered miners to the town of Roosevelt and the Thunder Mountain mines. ITA volunteers from the Three Blaze Trail survey project will also share stories and photos from their recent survey trip. Learn more about this historic trail by signing up here.
Jeff Halligan Virtual Retirement Party
December 17, 6pm PST/ 7pm MST
Join us for an evening of celebrating Executive Director Jeff Halligan and sending him off into a happy retirement. Sign up to join this Zoom event here.
November 21, 2020 was a blue bird day for penguins, at 10:00 it was 33 degrees at my home, but the urge to get in one last ride while the roads are not snow covered was too great. I was curious about the Woodland Fire near Cambridge, so I dress for cold riding and headed for the Brownlee campground to see what damage was done on Cuddy Mountain. There is fire damage on both sides of Highway 71, but most was on the north side. There are still hot spots that the rain and snow have not completely put out yet, but it is very unlikely they can spread. No building along the road were damaged, but the black goes right to the edge of some of them. Cuddy is a patch work, black areas but also a lot of unburned areas.
Brownlee Camp ground did burn, but most of the big trees should be ok, in that area it mostly burned the brush. No idea what the condition of the trail on that part of the mountain are like, something to check out next summer.
The Woodhead Fire burned almost 100,000 acres to date and is now 100% contained. The burned area is located east of Council, Idaho including lands in the Payette National Forest. Starting September 28, a team of Forest Service specialists conducted field assessments to determine the need for burned area emergency response (BAER) treatments. Specialists included hydrology, soils, engineering, botany, range, recreation, fisheries, archeology, and wildlife. BAER is a specific effort to reduce further damage due to the land being temporarily exposed in a fragile condition. Loss of vegetation exposes soil to erosion; water runoff may increase and cause flooding; sediment may move downstream and damage houses or fill reservoirs, putting habitat and community water supplies at risk. The BAER program is designed to address these situations through the key goals of protecting life, property, water quality, and deteriorated ecosystems.
Led by West Zone Hydrologist Melanie Vining, the Woodhead Fire BAER Team uses satellite imagery of the burned area to classify the landscape into low, moderate, and high soil burn severity. The fire on the forest burned in a mosaic pattern with most of the burned area classified as unburned, low severity, or moderate severity. The burned area was initially classified using the satellite imagery and adjustments in classification were made based on ground surveys to yield a final soil burn severity map.
The entire burned area is mapped, though the field work and treatments identified by the Forest Service BAER Team are limited to only the acres of burned area on the Payette National Forest. A BAER Plan summarizing the assessment results and describing the proposed treatments has been prepared and is pending approval. Approved treatments will be implemented over the next 12 months using federal dollars on federal lands. Areas of concern for watershed impacts are in places that experienced higher burn severity, namely in Crooked River, No Business Basin, and Brownlee Creek.
After the fire burn severity map is completed and the BAER treatment plan is approved additional information will be provided to the public. While the BAER program does not prescribe treatments on non-federal lands, the assessment and hydrologic risk analysis can be useful to adjacent and downstream landowners to inform their own range of possible treatments. The Woodhead BAER team continues to share information with County officials and other agencies who in turn coordinate with affected landowners.
Great American Outdoors Act Virtual Sensing Opportunity
The USDA Forest Service is moving forward with implementation of the Great American Outdoors Act, which will enable federal land managers to take aggressive steps to address deferred maintenance and other infrastructure projects on national forests and grasslands through 2025.
The Forest Service will use these funds to maximize the benefits experienced by millions of Americans who visit and use their national forests. Projects funded by this act will focus on improving conditions on forest and rangelands, reducing wildfire risk, and increasing the resiliency of our nation’s forests for present and future generations.
The Forest Service is inviting the public to provide feedback on the projects that are under consideration to be prioritized for funding in Fiscal Year 2022. This opportunity is intended to serve only as a virtual listening session via solicitation of public feedback. Feedback provided will become part of the project record. A response to the feedback submitted during this opportunity will not be provided. Projects selected for funding will be compliant with the National Environmental Policy Act. Public notification and engagement on the selected projects will occur as required by regulation.
The following is a list of proposed projects for the Intermountain Region. Your feedback is requested by Nov. 30, 2020.
Please note that this project list includes projects submitted for funding consideration under the agency’s National Asset Management Program, which includes funding available under the Capital Improvement and Maintenance and Federal Land Transportation Program.
The public has until Nov. 30, 2020 to review and provide feedback on the proposed list. For more details on how to submit your feedback, visit: https://cara.ecosystem-management.org/Public/CommentInput?project=NP-2648.
News Release: USDA Forest Service Invites Public Feedback on Proposed List of Deferred Maintenance Projects for Fiscal Year 2022
The company owned by a pair of Texas Billionaires who bought up significant land holdings in Idaho in recent years – listed a big chunk of it for sale.
The property listing comes to light as another for-profit company hopes to convince State of Idaho leaders to transfer control of a similarly-sized piece of property nearby.
Dan and Farris Wilks’ Wilks Ranch Brokers listed a 48-square-mile piece of property to the west of McCall for sale last year. The property, which the Wilks’ call McCall Red River Ranch, is the largest piece of property for sale by the firm. Last year, the Idaho Statesman estimated the Wilks’ own more than 300 square miles of land across the state.
“At over 30,000 contiguous deeded acres, McCall Red Ridge Ranch is a scenic mountain timber ranch nestled in the stunning Payette National Forest,” Wilks Ranch Brokers says of the offering on its website. “Overlooking and adjacent to the major tourist town of McCall, Idaho, the ranch has uniquely positioned mountain ranges… A unique and rare first time offering, this recreational and productive ranch is full of water, timber, big game, and endless division and subdivision possibilities.”
Fall 2020 NWSA Newsletter now Available
WATCH VIDEO
The Pacific Southwest Region’s Pack Stock Center of Excellence is an innovative program that honors Forest Service tradition while addressing current and future needs. This 12-minute video shows how horses and mules have been used in the agency since its inception. With the passage of the 1964 Wilderness Act, which generally prohibits motorized equipment and mechanized transport in these areas, packing has become the key method of transportation for both people and supplies into the backcountry for increasingly important work.
The inReach product line is growing! Join us at 3:30 p.m. ET, Nov. 19, for a live inReach webinar featuring Chip Noble, senior product manager at Garmin. We’ll review the features and functionalities of each inReach device as well as what types of activities each device is best suited for. As always, we’ll save time for your questions.
Miss a previous newsletter? Here are some of the recent stories we shared:
- Webinar recording: inReach Best Practices Webinar
- Podcast: A Plane Crash in the Idaho Backcountry
- The 5,000th inReach SOS: A Whitewater Rafting Emergency
- Remote Alaskan Lodge Uses inReach for Epic Adventures
Read more about exploring the outdoors on the Garmin blog.
Beckley, B. 2019. One Moving Part: The Forest Service Ax Manual. 1823 2812P. Missoula, MT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Technology and Development Program. 234 p.
This manual provides information about different types of axes and their historic and current usage in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. Subjects covered include the anatomy of an ax, types of axes and related tools, selecting the right ax for you, the art of filing, sharpening an ax head, restoring or replacing an ax handle, using an ax, maintaining an ax, and purchasing an ax. The manual also includes a list of resources and information about ax manufacturers and suppliers.
Mountain lions are having quite the news year in 2020. From a mountain lion kitten called Captain Cal being rescued by a firefighter in the Zogg fire to the 6-minute dramatic saga of a trail runner in Utah encountering a mountain lion family on a trail (NSFW: the link to original video contains profanity), it’s a solid reminder that chances are you live, visit, or recreate somewhere in their habitat.
In case you missed it, the Utah trail runner first came across the kittens (or cubs) and was immediately met by the mother mountain lion who instictively became assertive and aggressive in order to put some distance between her kittens and this present “danger” (the trail runner).
While this story ends well for all (the trail runner is ok and the mother mountain lion will be left alone), it’s a great time to brush up on how to recreate responsibly in mountain lion country and what to do if you encounter one of these magical creatures. If hiking with small children or pets be sure to keep them close to you. If you see a mountain lion – pick them up or call them over next to you.
1. Make and maintain eye contact.
2. Try to look larger. Hold your bag or jacket over your head and wave your arms slowly) – don’t crouch or bend over.
3. Speak loudly and back away slowly.
4. Hold your ground. If the mountain lion approaches you, hold your ground, look intimidating, and throw things (rocks, branches, or other things you can reach without bending over) toward, not at, the mountain lion.
5. Escalation. If the mountain lion continues to approach escalate the hostility and throw things directly at the mountain lion.
6. If a mountain lion attacks. When in this position, do everything in your power to fight back! (Also seriously consider buying a lottery ticket as it’s statistically way more likely that you’ll win a lottery jackpot (1 in about 3 million odds) than get attacked by a mountain lion (1 in a billion+ odds)).
Mountain lions can be found in the western United States but their populations have decreased significantly from historical numbers due to hunting and habitat loss. While most people will likely never be lucky enough to see one while visiting wilderness areas, never forget we’re vistors in their home. Know before you go, review what to do in case you encounter one, and enjoy your time outside. (Photo credit: USFS)
MORE INFORMATION
This summer a member of the chapter mentioned that in the past he had participated in packing in fish to a mountain lake and suggested that we might want to contact Fish & Game about getting some of their left over fish fingerlings in the fall after they had finished with their planned stocking. Calls were made and Malia Galloher 208-305-7822 in McCall agreed to call us if fish were available and we could agree on suitable lakes that could use them. At the end of September Malia called and said they had some Grayling that they would like to stock in lakes on the south western side of the Frank Church. The lakes being considered were Pistol and 44 lake near Landmark.
Arctic grayling grow to a maximum recorded length of 76 cm (30 in) and a maximum recorded weight of 3.8 kg (8.4 lb). Of typical thymalline appearance, the Arctic grayling is distinguished from the similar grayling (T. thymallus) by the absence of dorsal and anal spines and by the presence of a larger number of soft rays in these fins. There is a dark midlateral band between the pectoral and pelvic fins, and the flanks may possess a pink iridescence. T. a. arcticus has been recorded as reaching an age of 18 years.
Where are grayling found?
RANGE: Arctic grayling are native to drainages of the Arctic Ocean, Hudson Bay and Northern Pacific Ocean in North America and in Asia. Two distinct populations historically inhabited waters in Michigan and Montana. The distinct population of Arctic grayling in Michigan is now extinct.
The arctic grayling is not native to Idho or Utah, but it has been introduced into several high elevation lakes in the Mountains. The arctic grayling eats primarily invertebrates, including insects, insect larvae, and zooplankton. … Grayling are related to trout and can be caught using familiar techniques.
How do you catch a grayling in a lake?
Arctic grayling can be caught in mountain lakes and streams. Grayling are typically caught with artificial baits including small spinners, lightweight jigs, wet flies and dry flies. They can be easily caught using a spinning rod and spinning reel.
Are Grayling good to eat?
Alaskan Arctic Grayling are a delight to catch as they readily hit dry flies and are a darn good fight for their size. … It is debated that the Alaska grayling is one of the best eating freshwater fish in the world. Their flesh is white and flaky when cooked over an open fire for a tasty shore lunch.
Life cycle
Several life history forms of Arctic grayling occur: fluvial populations that live and spawn in rivers; lacustrine populations that live and spawn in lakes; and potamodromous populations that live in lakes and spawn in tributary streams.
The Arctic grayling occurs primarily in cold waters of mid-sized to large rivers and lakes, returning to rocky streams to breed. The various subspecies are omnivorous. Crustaceans, insects and insect larvae, and fish eggs form the most important food items. Larger specimens of T. arcticus become piscivorous and the immature fish feed on zooplankton and insect larvae.
Spawning takes place in the spring. Adult fish seek shallow areas of rivers with fine, sand substrate and moderate current. Males are territorial and court females by flashing their colourful dorsal fins; the fins are also used to brace receptive females during the vibratory release of milt and roe. The fish are nonguarders: the eggs are left to mix with the substrate. Although the Arctic grayling does not excavate a nest, the highly energetic courtship and mating tends to kick up fine material which covers the zygotes. The zygote is small (approximately 3 mm or 0.1 in in diameter) and the embryo will hatch after two to three weeks. The newly hatched embryo remains in the substrate until all the yolk has been absorbed. They emerge at a length of around 12 to 18 mm (0.5 to 0.7 in), at which time they form shoals at the river margins. The juveniles grow quickly during their first two years of life.
Idaho Fish & Game McCall Hatchery
Species Production – Summer Chinook salmon is the primary species produced at McCall hatchery. A resident species program operates during the summer months, producing small fish for statewide mountain lake stocking, and redistributing catchable size rainbow into local area waters. https://idfg.idaho.gov/fish-identification
The Plan was for Joe Williams with his stock to drive up to the Pistol Lake trail head north east of Landmark on FR – 447 on Thursday October 15, and Rob Adams to meet Fish and Game on Friday the 16 to shuttle the fish to the trail head. Arrangements were made to meet F&G in Cascade on Friday morning at 08:00 at Grandma’s dinner. At 07:50 the F&G truck arrived and eight 3 gallon bags of fish were quickly loaded into coolers in Rob’s truck. The drive from Cascade to the trail head takes around 90 minutes and when Rob Arrived Joe was just finishing saddling his stock.
A bit of air was removed from each bag and the fish were loaded into some ridged pack boxes and the rest of the loads were hung and within 60 minutes of Rob’s arrival Joe was loaded and heading down the trail for the 7 mile ride into 44 Lake.
Joe reported on Sunday, that the fish did well and only a few didn’t hit the lake water and quickly disappeared into its depths. In a couple of years there should be some good Grayling fishing in this remote mountain lake.
Leave No Trace Stock Users Education Program
Leave No Trace (LNT) was created by the US Forest Service in the 1960’s, when recreation on public lands increased significantly, with a corresponding level of damage to those wild places. Then in the early 1990s, the Forest Service worked with the National Outdoor Leadership School to develop hands-on, science-based minimum impact education for non-motorized recreational activities.To educate, encourage, and solicit active participation in the wise and sustaining use of the back country resources by horsemen and the general public.
This statement is the basis for the BCHA LNT Stock Users Education Program. The BCHA Board has directed that we become the primary trainer of stock users in LNT principles and practices nationally. To that end the LNT Master’s Education Program was established. The program is a partnership between BCHA, State and Affiliate Members, the US Forest Service and LNT Inc.
BCHA coordinates, manages and monitors the program in cooperation with State and Affiliate memberships. Qualified BCH members are selected to become LNT Master Educators.
The students are taught and teach the LNT Principles and Practices outlined in the LNT Master Educators Handbook. Upon completion of the course the Master Educators teach Train the Trainer courses in cooperation with the local BCH units. The LNT Trainers then put on LNT Awareness Workshops. Twenty of our state and affiliate memberships have already had a member attend the Master Educator Course.
BCH of California Takes the Lead with Leave No Trace Stock Use Education
Back Country Horsemen of California (BCHC) is being nationally recognized for our leadership in Leave No Trace education of stock use. In 2015 they were awarded the contract to provide the only Leave No Trace Stock Master Educator course in the country. BCHC earned this remarkable opportunity through hard work, sustained effort in promoting environmental friendly land use with stock. The classes will be taught by BCHC’s Wilderness Riders and Master Educators of LNT.
Back Country Horsemen of California provides the “Leave No Trace” Stock Course regularly every April, it is switched from Northern California to Southern California each year as well as offering additional classes as the needed. For details on the BCHC 2018 LNT Master Class you’ll find it here. They also can provide a Team of Instructors to travel to your State under special arrangements. To learn more about this exciting opportunity, contact Back Country Horsemen of California through their website www.bchcalifornia.org, or contact Stacy Kuhns lnt@bchcalifornia.org
The focus of our training and education activities are the seven LNT Principles:
- Plan and prepare
- Travel and camp on durable surfaces
- Dispose of waste properly
- Leave what you find
- Minimize campfire impacts
- Respect wildlife
- Be considerate of other visitors
Leave No Trace for Horsemen Video
On December 31, 1863, Owyhee County became the first county organized by the Idaho Territorial Legislature. While Boise, Idaho, Nez Perce and Shoshone counties were organized under the laws of Washington Territory, they were not recognized by the Idaho Territory until February 1864. The original county seat at Ruby City was moved to nearby Silver City in 1867.
The name, Owyhee, comes from early fur trappers. In 1819, three natives from Hawaii, part of Donald McKenzie’s fur-trapping expedition, were sent to trap a large stream that emptied into the Snake River. When they did not return, McKenzie investigated and found one man murdered in camp and no sign of the others. The stream was named in their honor. “Owyhee” is an early spelling for the word Hawaii. The Oregon Trail, the earliest road in the area, was used by emigrants for over 30 years on their long trip to the Oregon country. The part of the Trail in Owyhee County was known as the South Alternate Route or “dry route”. The Owyhee road was shorter but much harder than the main trail. Gold was discovered in rich placer deposits in the Owyhee Mountains in May, 1863. A search for the source of the gold led to quartz ledges on War Eagle Mountain. Before the fall of 1863 several hard rock mines were being developed. Three towns grew to supply the miner’s needs. Booneville, Ruby City and Silver City were the first three settlements in the county. Only Silver City still stands, its well-preserved buildings a silent testimonial to the lively mining days. The beautiful ruby silver ore and the wealth of gold taken from the mountains made the mining district world famous. While Ruby City was named the first county seat, its population and businesses soon moved to a better location two miles upstream on February 1, 1867. Silver City was closer to most of the mining operations and had a better winter location. In 1934, after the decline of mining, the county government was moved to Murphy, more central to the livestock and agricultural sections of the country. READ MORE MORE History
On Sunday October 11, 2020 12 members and guest of the Squaw Butte Chapter of Back Country Horsemen of Idaho meet at the Diamond Basin parking lot and corrals, south of Murphy, ID.
This area is popular with a number of outdoor groups and users. During the day we meet a Jeep club, dirt bike riders, mountain bikers, 4-wheelers and of course horse back riders. All were courteous and no conflicts arose. This country is cross-crossed with dirt roads and single track trails and most of it is BLM managed land with a number of private in-holdings.
At a lunch break at a small cabin with water for horses, we met up with a jeep club. They were working on one of the Jeeps which had ingested some water at the creek crossing. We followed them as they left watching them do their best to roll over on some sections of the road they were following. The group rode a bit over 10 miles and were back at the trailers by 16:00 Great day had by all!
The Wilson Corrals Trail passes through open conifer/aspen forests and travels an open ridge to an arm of Wilson Peak before descending to Squaw Creek. The Wilson Corrals Trail starts a 1/2 mile up FS Road 653Q. The trail passes through open forest and onto an open ridge.
The trail follows along the Third Fork of Squaw Creek at first and then turns onto Squaw Creek. The trail crosses this small creek five times, passes a dispersed campsite at 1.0 miles and then breaks into the open before crossing FS 653Q at 1.2 miles. Cross the road and then look for the evident trail.
The trail slowly gains elevation and reaches a small meadow at 2.7 miles. At 3.6 miles, the trail reaches a large open ridge. Part way up the ridge the trail becomes faint, but just look for blazes and rock cairns or follow the trail on the Hiking Project mobile app. The trail then heads down Wilson Peak, traversing a creek at 5.6 miles and comes to a small wet meadow at 6.0 miles. You’ll connect into the West Mountain Trail at mile 6.6.
At times, a lot of cows can be grazing in the area so beware of faint trails when in the open meadows. This trail is currently only cleared every three years by the FS, but the Idaho Youth Conservation Corps and the Back Country Horsemen are working to keep it cut out more often.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/boise/null/recarea/?recid=5081&actid=51
Area/Length : 5.3 Miles Latitude : 44.429579 Longitude : -116.211267
Sunday September 25, 2020 was much to nice a day to not be in the mountains. BNF Trail supervisor Savannah Steele had not been able to ride with Squaw Butte on our Boiling Springs project, so I texted her asking if she wanted to join me in the West Central Mountains for a day ride. Savannah arrived at my place in Sweet around 08:00 and we loaded up three horses and headed to Ola. Savannah had only visited this area of the Boise National forest once when we worked on the Poison Creek trail and was enjoying the drive up and learning more about the area. By 10:00 we were in the saddle and heading up the trail. The lower third of the trail had been worked on this year as their were fresh cut logs and fresh brushing. As we move further up the trail we encountered down trees and areas that needed brushing which we did.
By 14:00 we had reached the upper meadow and stopped for a quick lunch before heading back to the trailer. Tucker the horse Savannah was riding wanted to share her lunch. She rewarded him for the great ride with part of her apple.
Looking up towards Wilson Peak.
For the last hitch of the 2020 season, Lead Wilderness Steward Connor Adams – Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests – joins up with the Trail Crew to untangle blowdowns and clear brush on the #421 trail. While exploring the headwaters of East Moose Creek, Connor and crew improvise tools and attest to the necessity of brushing for Wilderness accessibility.
Priority Areas
Please check back for additional information and updates on each priority area.
- Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex & Adjacent Lands
- Methow Valley Ranger District
- Hells Canyon National Recreation Area/Eagle Cap Wilderness
- Central Idaho Complex
- Continental Divide National Scenic Trail
- Wyoming “Forest Gateway Communities”
- Northern California Wilderness Areas: Marble Mountain & Trinity Alps
- Angeles National Forest
- Greater Prescott Trail System
- Sedona Red Rock Ranger District Trail System
- Colorado Fourteeners
- Superior National Forest Trails
- White Mountain National Forest Partner Complex: “200 Years of Community Trail Stewardship”
- Southern Appalachians Capacity Enhancement Model
- Iditarod National Historic Trail “Southern Trek”
From: Randy Rasmussen
Sent: Wed, 23 Sep 2020
Subject: Re: Reminder and Update: National Directors Call
BCHA National Directors:
Regarding our conversation this evening about Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) funding, which is intended to address “priority deferred maintenance” over the next 5 years, the take-home message is this:
1. All interested BCH states/chapters should contact their local US Forest Service office to provide input on trail maintenance projects important to horsemen and that can be implemented in Fiscal Years (FYs) 2022 through 2025.
– The list of projects is more-or-less set in stone for FY’21, which starts October 1st–but they’ll need your help next field season with many of these too!
- Most, if not all, USFS District Rangers and Forest Supervisors are well aware of the GAOA and scrambled within the past several weeks to develop their lists for FY’21.
– They should be reaching out to your chapters in short order, to develop their lists for FY’22 and beyond. Plus, there should be future “public listening sessions” for such input.
– Either way, contact your local USFS officials *within the next few weeks* to let them know of your interest in providing input on specific trail maintenance needs (and how your chapter can help, including whether entering into a Cost-Share Agreement would be viewed as beneficial by local USFS officials). - As a result of the 2016 National Forest System Trails Stewardship Act (aka,”Trails Act”), the USFS identified 15 priority areas throughout the nation to demonstrate progress in addressing the trail maintenance backlog.
– A map and description of those areas can be found at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/trails/priority-areas - The priority areas were established at a time when the USFS did not have special funding to address, in a broad fashion, their trail maintenance backlog. Now that GAOA funding will be available over the next 5 years. T
– The agency will no doubt look far beyond these 15 priority areas to address priority deferred maintenance for trails. So don’t despair if your local forest is not within the current priority areas!
5. As Chairman Wallace said, for those chapters involved in trail maintenance projects with the BLM, National Park Service and US Fish & Wildlife Service, you are encouraged to also reach out to them to inquire about how you can help set priorities and engage in their use of GAOA funding.
Best, Randy Rasmussen, M.S.
Director, Public Lands & Recreation | Back Country Horsemen of America
WildernessAdvisor@bcha.org | 541.602.0713 | www.bcha.org
The culmination of 2020 Field season; showcasing the timber harvest and restoration of the Sagehen area including roadside hazard and removal of hazard trees in campgrounds for public health and safety.
WATCH VIDEO
Brenden Cronin is the River Ranger on the Payette River on the Boise National Forest. Brenden describes his job and his work duties on the river. Brenden spends time floating the river, picking up trash, cleaning toilets, and he helps people load and unload their boats from the river. There are seven river sites along the Main Payette River and Brenden maintains those by stopping at those sites and picking up trash and cleaning those toilets at the sites. Brenden spends time talking to people on the river and informing them about the use of the river and any hazards that might exist. Filmed and edited by Charity Parks. WATCH VIDEO
CONTACT US: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r4/about-region/contactus/?cid=fsbdev3_016050
Boise National Forest – 2020
Tawnya Brummett – Forest Supervisor
Kandice Cotner – Acting Deputy Forest Supervisor
1249 South Vinnell Way, Suite 200
Boise, ID 83709
208-373-4100
Lucky Peak Nursery
15169 East Highway 21
Boise, ID 837
208-343-1977
Cascade Ranger District
Jake Strohmeyer – District Ranger
PO Box 696
540 North Main Street
Cascade, ID 83611
208-382-7400
Emmett Ranger District
Katie Wood – District Ranger
1805 Highway 16, Room 5
Emmett, ID 83617
208-365-7000
Idaho City Ranger District
John Wallace – District Ranger
PO Box 129
Highway 21, Milepost 38.3
Idaho City, ID 83631
208-392-6681
Lowman City Ranger District
John Kidd – District Ranger
7359 Highway 21
Lowman, ID 83637
208-259-3361
Mountain Home Ranger District
Stephaney Kerley – District Ranger
2180 American Legion Boulevard
Mountain Home, ID 83647
208-587-7961
Today we’re relaunching #VotePublicLands, American Hiking’s nonpartisan voter education and engagement effort.
2020 has been a big year for public lands, and we’ve seen that when the hiking community uses its collective voice we can advance public land priorities. We worked hard for the Great American Outdoors Act to become law with overwhelming bipartisan support, but the work doesn’t stop there. We as hikers need to work towards equitable access to the outdoors for all.
One of the most important ways to make our voices heard is to VOTE. Through #VotePublicLands, American Hiking provides our members and supporters easy to use resources to register to vote, check registration status, and request an absentee ballot/vote by mail. 
Explore the key issues to be strong public lands advocates
Dihydrogen Monoxide is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and kills uncounted thousands every year. Cocoa knows this and has consistently refused to get anywhere near the stuff. Unfortunately her job description requires her to frequently cross bodies of the substance.
How to Teach a Horse to Cross WaterDihydrogen (H2) Monoxide (O) is of course water and water crossings are the bane of many trail riders. Cocoa and I are no exception as I discovered during one of her first packing experiences. A tiny stream that I could easily step across in one stride, and shallow enough that if I were to walk through would not touch the top of my shoes, was enough to derail the ride in short order. Thank you Cocoa, for the opportunity! Preparing a horse, or mule, to steadily and self-confidently cross water takes planning, patience, and practice. This is how Cocoa and I went from refusing puddles to confidently crossing rivers. READ MORE
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Squaw Butte chapter member Tom Zahradnicek an avid mountain lake fisherman suggested that the chapter tackle clearing the trail to Cougar Lake that over the years has fallen into disuse and was completely choked with brush and downed trees.The trail leaves Kennally creek and climbs a very steep hill side through a series of switch back that were obscured by dense brush. 
Over two weekend projects, members David Benson, Rob Adams, Sharie Fitzpatrick and Tom Zahradnicek spent a number of hours with nippers and saw clearing the brush off the trail and re-establishing the trail bed. We still have work to do to completely open the trail to the lakes, but the hardest part is open so should finish the project next summer.
Cougar Lakes is a lake located just 15 miles from McCall, in Valley County, in the state of Idaho, United States, near Donnely, ID. Whether you’re spinning, fly fishing or bait casting your chances of getting a bite here are good. So grab your favorite fly fishing rod and reel, and head out to Cougar Lakes. Latitude: 44.8419° or 44° 50′ 30.8″ north Longitude: -114.3183° or 114° 19′ 5.9″ west Elevation: 2544 metres (8346 feet)
While riding out we met a trail bike with a chain saw mounted on it’s front wheel. We stopped and talked to the rider. He mentioned that his wife was coming up the trail behind him with their pack string of six mules. He said they were going to be setting up a camp near one of the lakes in the area. While he didn’t say, but we think they were a local outfitter setting up a hunting camp after looking at the loads which contained a number of tents and chairs. What a great idea having someone clear the trail in front of your pack string! Video
Update – August 23, 2020 Cowboy Campground has found a host. She will be starting on Wednesday.
Thanks Arlynn
Hi, All –
If you have been in touch with Sabrina recently she may have mentioned to you that we would like to have a camp host up at the campground. We would like to start our search with the local Backcountry Horsemen chapters, as we feel this would be a great pond to fish in for folks who are competent and trustworthy. If we don’t find them within your chapters then we will expand our search to other chapters and a few other organizations, such as Facebook groups and maybe the Forest Service.
We have developed the attached flyer for our search. Would you all be so kind as to send it out to your chapters?
Also, I want to be clear as to which chapter you’re each a part of, so can you reply and let me know, please?
If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me via Email or my cell at 208-629-9270.
Thanks – Diane Carty horsey4life@msn.com
Trails that BCHI Chapter Squaw Butte work on generally fall into Trail Class One, Two or Three! If a proper trail corridor is not maintained a trail class 3 can quickly turn into a class 2 or 1 or dissipate completely.
PDF – USFS Trail Classes
When working on a trail, it is not enough to just cut a path through the down trees, it is very important to cut back the brush and remove small trees that are in the trail corridor so that the trail bed is visible and safe to travel on.
Examples from the Kennally Creek Project
Working on T-099 Kennally Creek Trail which is a class 3 with sections of Class 2
David working on the Cougar Lake trail which is some class 2 but mostly class 1 and in many sections completely brushed over so the trail bed has vanished and could not be followed.
Tom Z and David working on the Needles Trail
Flash had a small wound on his lower leg that had taken forever to heal. His vet recommended an antibiotic for a week, but the owner didn’t think the wound was healing fast enough. Her friend happened to have another antibiotic in her tack trunk. They added that one in too. 24 hours after starting the second antibiotic, Flash stopped eating, developed a fever, and then started pipe-stream diarrhea.
After 3 weeks in an equine hospital isolation barn and over $14,000.00 in vet bills, Flash was finally able to go home. He was crippled by laminitis, and he had lost one of his jugular veins. It would take him 3 months to return to being ridden again and he was never quite the same. Flash was one of the lucky ones. Most horses that develop severe antibiotic-induced colitis do not survive. READ MORE
Don’t take antibiotic use in the horse lightly! As a responsible horse person:
• You should understand the potential benefits but also the limitations and dangers of systemic antibiotic use in horses.
• You should always use antibiotics under the direction of a licensed vet, experienced in equine medicine.
• You should recognize how fragile the equine intestinal microbiome is compared to that of other species. Know that disturbing it through the use of antibiotics can in rare cases mean the death of the horse.
• You should also understand and respect the danger of development of bacterial resistance to antibiotics.
• You should know the few antibiotics labeled for use in the horse, and that other use of antibiotics is extra-label. If there is an FDA-approved antibiotic for a given use, your vet should ideally select that over an extra-label antibiotic.
• You should have the skills to properly administer the medication. Here are a few skills that I list in Horse Side Vet
Guide, which you might need to be able to treat your horse with antibiotics:
Assessing treatment effectiveness: https://horsesidevetguide.com/drv/Skill/194/assess-effectiveness-of-treatment-objectively/
As the horse’s owner, you also have a vital role in providing feedback as to how a treatment is working. In this way, adjustments can be made in treatment plan.
How to give oral Medication:https://horsesidevetguide.com/drv/Skill/28/give-oral-medication/
Assess your horse’s general health:https://horsesidevetguide.com/drv/Skill/146/perform-whole-horse-exam-whe/
Leave no trace camping puppet show for kids was created by volunteer Ethan and Ranger Katie in 2009 to communicate to children at lower grade levels. Alaska Park Service Watch Video
The highline – Way back in 2009 I created a highline how to video. It’s been pretty popular and I hope it’s been helpful. But that was over a decade ago and lots of things have changed in that time. Not only do I have less hair, and a rocking beard, I set up my highline differently now.
It’s time to refresh, revamp, and revise this piece. Please join me as we discover the joy of “A Better Way to Hold Your Horses”.
The highline. At its heart it’s just a stout rope stretched between two sturdy objects. But like many things that seem simple at first blush there’s a little more to it.
Done well a highline is a safe and effective tool to help keep our ponies out of trouble. Done poorly there’s few easier ways to heartbreak.
READ MORE / Buy a highline kit
Located 30 miles north of Ola, Idaho off forest road 625, the west mountain North trail head provides access to two excellent trails. TR-131 know both as the West Mountain trail and this end known as the Squaw Creek trail, follows Squaw creek up a canyon of big trees, water falls and rock formations. This is a technical trail with a number of rocky sections so better left to experienced trail riders. Poison Creek trail TR-134 is a ridge trail and while there are some steep sections it is not technical and has some amazing views. The project that six members of the Squaw Butte Chapter was on the first few miles of TR-131, we knew it needed brushing and expected blow down, we found lots of both.
You know you are living in Idaho, when you have to pull over to allow a family and their friends to move stock down a country road. 
As this was a day project for most of the group, we parked at the trail head which is up FR 625G and has parking for about 8 trailers with a little planning. Part of the area was wet as the forest service had fixed the water tire and it was overflowing. By ten we were on the trail with Rob towing an extra horse for the forest service guy who was a no-show. 
Tom and Rob handled the chain saws while the rest of the crew brushed. By 14:00 we were bushed and needed a break,. We stopped at a nice spot by the creek and had lunch, this became the turn-around point but we stopped a number of time on the way back to do more brushing. By 17:00 we were back at the trailers and loaded for the trip home.
