BOISE, Idaho — The Boise National Forest is entering year two of a four-year logging plan to thin out dead and diseased trees. With this project comes trail & road closures.
The Deer Point Stewardship Project was expected to start up again in April, but snowstorms during the month have delayed the project until Monday, May 11. This project is all about forest health and minimizing wildfire danger.
WATCH | Neighborhood Reporter Steve Dent hikes Pat's trail to see the condition of the Boise National Forest—
"It’s a targeted approach to remove some trees. We're leaving the Ponderosa Pines, which are very resilient to wildfire," said Michael Williamson of the Boise National Forest. "It’s not going to be a clear-cutting operation by any stretch. This is about thinning out the woods that, again, will make it more resistant, more resilient to a wildfire."
Neighborhood Reporter Steve Dent hiked up Pat's Trail and discovered a bunch of dead trees, some lying on the forest floor. Some were marked for removal.
"That area is really important, there's a lot going on up there," said Williamson. "We have homes nearby, we have critical infrastructure, telecommunications sites, and then we have all the recreation infrastructure of Bogus Basin itself, the trails."
Beginning on May 11, during the week, Pat's Trail and the popular Freddy's Stack Rock Trail will be closed to the public for logging operations. They will be open on the weekends.
RELATED| 4-year forest management plan to reduce wildfire risks near Bogus Basin
Bogus Basin Road will also be closed at mile marker 12, which is near the end of the traverse when the road starts entering the forest. These closures will happen Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. The road will open for two hours before being closed again from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
“Last year we had numerous instances, actually, of hikers, bikers coming into active logging areas, presenting a dangerous situation," said Williamson. "It caused quite a bit of delays for the operators, so we ask the public to respect the closures this year."
The project is expected to last until June 19, but it doesn't start until May 11, giving the public another week to access the entire recreation complex from mile marker 12 to Bogus Basin.
