{"id":3414,"date":"2016-11-28T22:28:07","date_gmt":"2016-11-29T05:28:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sbbch.org\/?p=3414"},"modified":"2025-04-26T16:31:26","modified_gmt":"2025-04-26T22:31:26","slug":"draft-plan-released-for-2-central-idaho-wilderness-areas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sbbch.org\/?p=3414","title":{"rendered":"Draft plan released for 2 central Idaho wilderness areas"},"content":{"rendered":"

bolder-white-cloud-draft-mgt-plan<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\\ \u00a0 \u00a0Proposed Restrictions for Recreational Stock Use In The Boulder White Clouds Wilderness<\/a><\/p>\n

Notice of Initiating the Assessment Phase of the Forest Plan Revision for the Salmon-Challis National Forest<\/a>
\n\"whitecloud\"<\/a>By KEITH RIDLER – Associated Press – Monday, November 28, 2016<\/p>\n

BOISE, Idaho (AP) – A draft plan unveiled Monday for two recently created Idaho wilderness areas prohibits campfires at high elevations to protect whitebark pine and eliminates horses and other recreational stock in some areas<\/strong> to protect alpine soils.<\/p>\n

The U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Bureau of Land Management announced the availability of the 67-page document intended to guide management of the 138-square-mile Hemingway-Boulders Wilderness and the 142-square-mile White Clouds Wilderness, both in central Idaho.<\/p>\n

The agencies say the goal is to manage the areas for recreation and other activities while preserving wilderness character.<\/p>\n

The ban on campfires above 9,000 feet with some exceptions is intended to protect whitebark pine as well as snags and downed trees at high altitudes where firewood is scarce and living trees become targets.
\n\u201cWe cannot lose whitebark pine,\u201d said Forest Service spokeswoman Julie Thomas. \u201cThere are not that many of them (that) we can start using them for firewood.\u201d<\/p>\n

The ban on horses and other recreational stock applies only to a portion of the White Clouds Wilderness, in part to protect riparian areas.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dani Mazzotta of the Idaho Conservation League said 60 volunteers over the summer documented high-use areas, trash removal and wildlife sightings. She said the information was turned over to the federal agencies but it\u2019s not clear if it was included in the draft plan.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll be diving into the wilderness plan in the next couple weeks,\u201d she said President Barack Obama signed the Sawtooth National Recreation Area and Jerry Peak Wilderness Additions Act in August 2015 after Republican Rep. Mike Simpson of Idaho got ranchers, recreationists and environmental groups to back the plan.<\/p>\n

Simpson had been working on wilderness designation for 15 years, but some groups upset with the delay pushed Obama to designate a much larger area a national monument. That possibility is widely believed to have led to the wilderness bill passing despite opposition, particularly in rural Custer County where some of the wilderness area is located.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of people are upset with the fact that I didn\u2019t call their bluff and see if they turned it into a monument,\u201d said Custer County Commission Chairman Wayne Butts, noting he and the two other commissioners didn\u2019t want to take that chance and signed on with Simpson\u2019s bill.<\/p>\n

He said that among the problems with the draft plan are negative comments about grazing cattle, a use specifically allowed as part of the compromise deal reached to create the wilderness areas.<\/p>\n

The law also allows for the retirement of grazing allotments, and Thomas said one allotment has already been retired that overlapped a part of the White Clouds Wilderness.<\/p>\n

The central Idaho wilderness areas created with Obama\u2019s signature in 2015 also include the 183-square-mile Jim McClure-Jerry Peak Wilderness. Federal officials say the management plan for that area, which involves a different national forest and more BLM land, is being completed in a separate planning effort.<\/p>\n

Public meetings to discuss the plan for Hemingway-Boulders Wilderness and White Clouds Wilderness are set for Dec. 5 in Challis, and Dec. 6 in Stanley and Ketchum.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Public comments are being taken through Jan. 5, with a final plan expected to be released in the spring.<\/p>\n

Draft plan released for 2 central Idaho wilderness areas<\/p>\n

Management plan for the Jim McClure-Jerry Peak Wilderness (116,898 acres)<\/a><\/p>\n

Sawtooth National Forest
\n2647 Kimberly Road East
\nTwin Falls, Idaho 83301<\/p>\n

Bureau of Land Management
\nChallis Field Office
\n1151 Blue Mountain Road
\nChallis, Idaho 83226<\/p>\n

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
\nCONTACT: JULIE THOMAS, PUBLIC AFFAIRS
\nPHONE: 208-737-3262
\nDATE: November 28, 2016<\/p>\n

Sawtooth National Recreation Area and BLM Challis Field Office Seek Comments regarding the Hemingway-Boulders and White Clouds Wilderness Management Plan Ketchum, ID \u2013 The Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management are announcing the availability of the proposed wilderness management plan for the Hemingway-Boulders and White Clouds Wilderness areas. A wilderness management plan guides the preservation, management, and use of wilderness to ensure it is unimpaired for future use and enjoyment as wilderness. The draft wilderness management plan provides direction for managing the resources and uses within wilderness: recreation, search and rescue, research, wildlife, vegetation, while preserving wilderness character.<\/p>\n

To access the draft plan, or for more information on the planning process, the wilderness areas, and interactive maps,<\/p>\n

Please visit the interagency project website at: http:\/\/usfs.maps.arcgis.com\/apps\/MapJournal\/index.html?appid=5693f6ff6783482da33cb7c2bf9f12d2 <\/a><\/p>\n

You may also request hard copies or CDs containing the document by contacting the Sawtooth National Forest Office at 208-737-3200.<\/p>\n

The BLM and USFS will also offer three public open-house meetings during the scoping period:
\nChallis, Idaho: December 5th, 5-7 p.m. at the Forest Service Office, 311 N. US Hwy 93.
\nStanley, Idaho: December 6th, Noon-2 p.m. at the Stanley Community Center, Hwy 21.
\nKetchum, Idaho: December 6th, 5-7 p.m. at the American Legion Hall, 220 Cottonwood Street.<\/p>\n

Comments concerning this action will be most useful if received by January 5, 2016 through one of the following methods:
\nSend an email to: comments-intermtn-sawtooth-nra@usda.gov<\/p>\n

Send a hardcopy letter to Sawtooth National Forest, 2647 Kimberly Road East, Twin Falls, Idaho 83301<\/p>\n

Proposed Restrictions<\/strong>
\nThe draft wilderness management plan proposes restrictions on two uses in certain portions of the wilderness areas: recreational stock and campfires. Click on headings for location details.<\/p>\n

Recreational Stock
\nLimitations on are proposed on recreational stock use above Lodgepole and Quiet lakes, within Gunsight Creek, and within the Big Boulder drainage, excluding Walker and Island lakes. These limitations are proposed to protect fragile alpine soils and vegetation, including sensitive whitebark pine trees, riparian processes and aquatic biota.<\/p>\n

\"gunsight\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

bolder-white-cloud-draft-mgt-plan\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\\ \u00a0 \u00a0Proposed Restrictions for Recreational Stock Use In The Boulder White Clouds Wilderness Notice of Initiating the Assessment Phase of the Forest Plan Revision for the Salmon-Challis National Forest By KEITH RIDLER – Associated Press – Monday, November 28, 2016 BOISE, Idaho (AP) – A draft plan unveiled Monday for two recently […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3414","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-events","category-publicmeeting"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sbbch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3414","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sbbch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sbbch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sbbch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sbbch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3414"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/sbbch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3414\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3417,"href":"https:\/\/sbbch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3414\/revisions\/3417"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sbbch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3414"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sbbch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3414"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sbbch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3414"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}