KAMIAH, Idaho—The Nez-Perce Clearwater National Forests, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation will begin prescribed burns on the North Fork Clearwater Ranger District to improve elk habitat.
The project will treat 2,185 acres of mature ponderosa pine in 38 stands through non-commercial thinning and prescribed burning. This project will ensure the long-term persistence of ponderosa pines by reducing the risk of loss due to wildfire by reducing fuels.
The burns will also minimize overmature brush and create desired vegetation conditions, providing more palatable, available, and nutritious forage for elk in the Lolo Zone. Lolo elk populations began declining in the 1990s, partially due to maturing forest habitats and declining forage availability.
The project will increase early seral habitat in the landscape and provide essential nutrition for elk, moose, and deer.
Tara Ball, the Regional Wildlife Biologist with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG), explained: “IDFG is excited to see this work get done. This mixture of treatments will create a mosaic of new and old vegetation, providing diverse habitat within the forested system that is important to many wildlife species. RMEF has been a big proponent of doing good things for elk across Idaho, and is no stranger to the Clearwater Basin. It truly takes an integrated effort by all.”
