ICYMI: Not the ‘preferred method’: Wilks Brothers skirt subdivision rules

28. December 2025 · Comments Off on ICYMI: Not the ‘preferred method’: Wilks Brothers skirt subdivision rules · Categories: Around The Campfire, Current Events


https://boisedev.com/2025/03/20/wilks-brothers-skirting-subdivision-rules-in-plan-to-sell-2000-acres-near-cascade-2/

BOISEDEV ICYMI 2025
In Case You Missed It: Some of our best stories of the year

A company owned by Texas billionaires Dan and Faris Wilks is selling 73 ranch sites carved from about 2,000 acres south of Cascade.

Plans for Legacy Creek Ranch, as dubbed by DF Development, look like subdivisions across Valley County, but are not subject to the same rules and review process because the ranch sites were created by a series of lot line adjustments and original parcel splits.

That, Valley County Planning and Zoning Administrator Cynda Herrick said, is the difference between selling raw land and being required to follow the county’s subdivision laws.

“I’ve been talking with (DF) and they understand that this isn’t the preferred method,” Herrick told Valley Lookout. “But it’s what they’re entitled to by law.”

The method used by DF enables Legacy Creek Ranch to avoid the county’s subdivision requirements, which include plans for drainage, irrigation, drinking water, septic systems, utilities, and streets.

It also means that the company is not required to create a fire protection plan covering things like water supply, emergency access, and vegetation management.

The plan also avoids review by the Valley County Planning and Zoning Commission, as well as several state agencies, including the Idaho Transportation Department, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, and the Idaho Department of Water Resources.   READ MORE

Public Lands – Volunteers cleared USFS Road

28. December 2025 · Comments Off on Public Lands – Volunteers cleared USFS Road · Categories: Around The Campfire, Current Events, Public Lands

Volunteers clear nearly 500 fallen trees from Forest Service roads | Coeur d’Alene Press https://share.google/6dS7zogwVPNW5DTuF

Volunteers assess road conditions in the Fernan Hill area following last week’s high winds. Volunteers removed nearly 500 fallen trees from area Forest Service Roads over the weekend.

by HAILEY HILL
Staff Writer | December 26, 2025 1:08 AM

It’s not just snowmobilers that recreate on North Idaho’s National Forest land, said Back Country ATV and UTV Association President Bret Uhlich.

Hikers, cross-country skiers and even sled dog teams take advantage of the groomed backroads and trails that make winter recreation accessible.

“We all love the backcountry,” Uhlich said.

It was this love for the backcountry that united 75 volunteers Saturday, enough manpower to clear nearly 500 fallen trees along Bunco Road, Fernan and the Fourth of July Pass.

Most volunteers were members of local organizations, including the Back Country ATV and UTV Association, the Coeur d’Alene Snowmobile Club and multiple Jeep clubs.

“Calls for action” were issued last week after high winds tore through North Idaho, downing trees, damaging infrastructure and resulting in one death.

One member of the Snowmobile Club had driven up into the Fernan Saddle area Wednesday to assess the road conditions and found trees nearly 2 feet in diameter toppled across the dirt road.

The club member was able to clear a quarter mile of the roadway by himself.

“Progress is possible, but it is slow, hard work,” the Snowmobile Club shared to social media Dec. 18.

With volunteers split into nine teams, several dozen miles of roadway were cleared of downed trees and other debris.

Cutting and moving the downed trees out of the roadways will save groomers both time and resources once the area receives significant snowfall, said Coeur d’Alene Snowmobile Club President Steven Cox.

The work will also allow outdoor enthusiasts to access the trails earlier in the season.

“I figured we should use the brief window we have before it started to snow,” Cox said.

These efforts underscored the importance of organizations like the Snowmobile Club, he added.

“This shows exactly what the need for this club is,” Cox said. “It was really good to see how many people came together to do this.”

And though there’s still plenty more work left to do, time and weather will determine whether crews can safely get back out there.

“There’s more to go, but unfortunately it’s a little dicey out there,” Uhlich said.