EMMETT, Idaho — A proposed project would bring a 393-acre gravel pit to the Star Lane and Sales Yard area of Emmett.
Towards the end of winter, before sunrise, a group of wildlife photographers from Boise, Middleton, and Star line the road along Star Lane, cameras in hand, waiting for the sandhill cranes to fly through.
George Hernandez Jr., a Boise wildlife photographer and photography coach, has been among them since 2018 — making the trek from Boise to document the migration as part of what he calls a major project for himself and the photographers he knows.
Hernandez took up wildlife photography after retiring in 2010 and has been coaching others on how to photograph and understand animal behavior ever since. He said Star Lane is unlike anywhere else he's photographed.
"It's a great experience because I've never been anywhere else— in a kind of a rural area— to where they're always consistently flying over so that you can get these flight shots," said Hernandez. "Now, there's other areas in Idaho you can do that, but this is probably the biggest area I've ever been in where they're coming across."
His morning routine is deliberate. He arrives before sunrise, checks the wind direction — because wind affects which way the birds come in — then walks up and down Star Lane waiting for the largest groups of cranes, preferably when the sun is out so he can capture their fantastic colors.
But Hernandez said he has noticed troubling changes since he first started coming out here.
"The biggest thing I've noticed is the flocks are getting smaller and not larger," added Hernandez.
He said the decline is tied to a loss of cornfields in the area due to the industrial impact on the migration route, leaving less food for the birds overall.
Hernandez said the roads along Star Lane have already been impacted by other gravel pits in the area, and adding another one would make things significantly worse.
Watch to learn more about wildlife photographers' concerns when it comes to Granite Excavation's Merrill's Pit proposal.
"If they were to add another one, it's just going to have a major effect— not only on the homeowners around here— but it's going to have a total impact on all the wildlife, the snow geese, the sandhill cranes, the hawks, and one thing and another because there's less food for them to feed on," Hernandez said.
Emmett neighbor Pam Fike lives in Emmett near the proposed gravel pit.
Fike says she can sit on her porch and watch the cranes fly over her house, land in the cornfield, and listen to them pretty much all day. She first discovered the group of photographers three years ago while feeding feral cats on a nearby property — and has been stopping to chat with them every morning since.
Fike said she encourages the photographers to learn about the sandhill cranes and understand the habitat, because the area sits directly in the Pacific Flyway — meaning migrating birds come right through Star Lane and Emmett and hang out for a long time.
She said what makes the area so special is that people come from all over to see the cranes.
"I'm fortunate enough to live on this end of the valley where the birds come, and to know that it's special enough that people come from all over to see them," Fike said.
Fike said she has also noticed the cranes changing their pattern.
"They're kind of changing the pattern in which they're coming," said Fike, who went on to explain that the birds are a little more wary of humans than they used to be. Fike said the proposed gravel pit needs to be weighed carefully against what the community stands to lose.
"Everyone knows that we need gravel, but there has to be a balance in locating and where and how we can work together," added Fike.
Granite Excavation, the developer behind the proposed pit, said they want to be a good neighbor. The company's proposal includes 20-foot berms around the property. Dusty Hibbard, vice president of Granite Excavation, said the berms are designed to protect surrounding neighbors.
"What that does is that's a sound barrier to the neighbors for any noise that a gravel pit would have," explained Hibbard.
Granite says it is also working with Idaho Fish and Game to address habitat and water concerns at the nearby Star Lane Ponds. Idaho Fish and Game provided the following statement:
"The Department of Fish and Game neither supports nor opposes proposed development projects, including this one. We do not have regulatory authority in this sphere, but are frequently asked to provide technical expertise to inform decisions to benefit fish, wildlife, habitat, and associated recreation.
"In this case, as an adjacent property owner to the proposed project, we had some initial concerns about potential impacts on Star Lane Ponds. Our primary concern was ensuring that the Department's storage water right for the ponds was not impacted by the gravel extraction operation. Secondary concerns were related to impacts on public hunting, fishing, and trapping activities. This information was shared with Granite, which resulted in a series of conversations and the collaborative development of possible solutions that address IDFG's concerns." - Idaho Fish & Game
Hernandez said he hopes decision-makers will consider what this area means to the people who live and recreate here.
"I would just want them to know that I don't think that's a good place. These people moved out here in this rural area to get away from that kind of stuff. Why bring it to them?" asked Hernandez.
He said the cranes are only here for a short time — and that is exactly what makes them worth protecting.
Fike said the community is nervous about the upcoming county meeting but is preparing to make its voice heard.
"There's gonna be a lot of people there. We're hoping the county commissioners are going to hear both sides," said Fike. "We're all nervous and concerned about what's gonna happen, but we're hopefully prepared."
Neighbors can weigh in on Merrill's Pit at the public hearing on April 6 at 6 p.m. at the Gem County Annex.
