RISCH AND FOREST CHIEF DISCUSS SALVAGE
PLAN AND FIRES

BOISE – Governor Jim Risch and U.S. Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth discussed by telephone today the salvage logging plans for the Bear area located in the Payette National Forest.  On June 4 a rare tornado raced through 12 miles of timber on roughly 5,000 acres of private and national forest lands.  The twister occurred near the community of Bear, located 35 miles northwest of Council.

Governor Risch complimented Bosworth and his agency for their quick response in issuing a pre-decisional Environmental Assessment on August 25.  The assessment was assembled in less than 90 days and its release marked the beginning of the 30-day objection period.

“It is critical that harvesting begin as soon as possible to retain the greatest value of the timber that can be salvaged and to reduce the threat of wildfire in the area.  Remaining stands are also at greater risk as insects begin to infest the downed trees and move outward from there,” said Risch.  “I thanked Chief Bosworth for his agency’s excellent work in reviewing the alternatives and moving quickly forward.”

If no objections are filed by September 25 the proposed plan will be implemented as recommended.  The proposed action plan calls for the harvest of blown down trees, prescribed burns and the planting of new trees on 1,835 acres of national forest land in and around the community of Bear and in the Bear Creek watershed.

The two also discussed the wildfires currently raging in Idaho.  Governor Risch relayed his observations from his tour and briefings last Friday at two different incident command centers in Idaho.  The Governor had visited the Red Mountain Incident Command Center in Custer County and the Rattlesnake Incident Command Center in Boise County.

He also did a surveillance flight of the Rattlesnake complex fire in a USFS helicopter with an Incident Command official.  The Idaho National Guard now has 74 guard members working at the Rattlesnake complex fire.

###

Return to September Press Releases