Welcome to CIRC-skiing, snowshoeing, and nordic skiing in Central Idaho

Backcountry Posse above Hum Lake 12/16/2003

TRAVEL MANAGEMENT PLAN UPDATE

About a year ago, the Payette National Forest decided to split the travel planning decision into four separate decision documents to allow the public to focus on areas of interest. The snow free Weiser Ranger District and McCall / Krassel Districts Record of Decision have been signed and the appeal period is over. CIRC along with ICL and the Wilderness Society have appealed the decision.

The snow free Council/New Meadows Record of Decision should be released within the next few weeks and the forest wide “over the snow” Travel Plan was expected to be released sometime after the first of the year.   After the Record of Decision is released, there will be a 45 day appeal period.   For more information contact Jane Cropp with the Payette National Forest at 208-634-0700.

Email CIRC at circ@email.com or click on our contact form.

For more information about recreational planning and equality for all users on our public lands you can also visit Winter Wildlands Alliance at www.winterwildlands.org.

CIRC Appeals Portions of the Payette National Forest Travel Plan

In November, Central Idaho Recreation Coalition appealed the McCall and Krassel Ranger Districts portion of the USFS Travel Management Plan, partnering with the Wilderness Society and Idaho Conservation League. The appeal was a partial challenge of the snow-free travel plan which failed to protect the Forest Service existing plan to close their recommended wilderness in the Secesh and Needles roadless areas. In addition, CIRC supported the agency plan to close a number of indiscriminate cross country trails that would be costly to remain open and would damage significant habitat.

"The travel plan also failed to close the Secesh River Trail which runs along this proposed Wild and Scenic River," said CIRC board member, Mike Medberry. "The Secesh River is one of the wildest rivers in central Idaho, it holds a critical population of salmon, steelhead, and bull trout, and is a superb kayaking river. The appeal claimed that the USFS should live up to its promises to protect the wilderness quality of areas that it has proposed as wilderness.

The appeal will cause the USFS to propose a settlement meeting to find out if there are ways to iron out the disagreements before the appeal is settled at the regional office in Ogden, Utah. If all parties agree, the Krassel and McCall Districts snow free Travel Plan could be settled and put into place for next year.

Coalition Members Propose More Permanent Protection

The Secesh Wildlands Coalition and Central Idaho Recreation Coalition are discussing opportunities to provide more permanent protection of key roadless areas on the Payette and Boise National Forests. These areas include the Secesh, Needles and French Creek roadless areas.

Each of these areas has been recommended by the Forest Service as deserving wilderness protection in the past and provide not only great scenic and recreation opportunities, but also are key areas for critical fish and wildlife habitat.

The 248,000 acre Secesh roadless area is by far the largest, most scenic, and most geologically and biologically diverse roadless area in central Idaho. This region is extremely rugged and includes Victor Peak, Loon Peaks, and Storm Peak where a number of spectacular lakes occur: Enos, Twenty mile, Storm, Victor, Burnside, Hum, Box lakes and many others.

The Needles roadless area is approximately 95,000 acres and hosts large Ponderosa pine trees, imperiled wildlife (wolverine, lynx, grey wolves, and occasional bighorn sheep, and lots of elk), superb views, hot springs, rugged country, spectacular creeks. Several creeks in this area, as well as the South Fork, support threatened Chinook salmon, steelhead, and bull trout. Rare cutthroat trout and lamprey eels are also present there.

The 88,000 acre French Creek roadless area is adjacent to the Salmon River Wild and Scenic River corridor. This roadless area reaches its high point on Black tip at nearly 9,000 feet and reaches down to the Salmon River at about 2,000 feet giving the area special significance, and providing important habitat for bighorn sheep, wolverine, bear, elk, wolves, and several species of trout.

Long term protection of these lands is necessary and currently, the only way to provide this is through Congressional wilderness legislation. Please let us know your ideas and thoughts. For further information, please contact the Payette National Forest at PO Box 1026, McCall, ID 83638 or Secesh Wildlands Coalition @ 208-630-4215.