Forest plan recommends wilderness in North Idaho

A newly revised Forest Service management plan outlines 161,400 acres suitable for official wilderness designation in North Idaho. That’s 22,000 acres more than were recommended in the draft plan put out for public comment in January. More land in the western half of the Mallard-Larkins Pioneer Area was added to the wilderness-ready list following public comment, officials said. In September, Idaho Panhandle National Forests Supervisor Mary Farnsworth released the major overhaul to the 1987 plan. The 60-day comment period for the revised plan ends next week. The plan lays out general guidelines – and some specifics – for the next 10-15 years of forest activities in categories such as timber, grazing, fire, water quality, wildlife, recreation and ecosystems. Land-use allocation portions of the plan affect everyone who uses the forests. The least restrictive category is “general forest,” which accounts for 60 percent of the 2.5 million acres in the IPNF. The most restrictive categories are wilderness or recommended wilderness. Use of motorized vehicles and equipment, including chainsaws, is prohibited in wilderness areas as well as mechanical equipment such as mountain bikes. Nearly 7 percent of the IPNF is recommended for wilderness or wilderness study in the 2013 plan – an acreage increase of 8 percent since the last plan was approved 25 years ago. The Forest Service can recommend and protect roadless areas that have all the qualities suitable for wilderness, but official designation requires Congressional approval...more