Hunters who use July Creek Road may see increased traffic from a timber harvest

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – Hunters using July Creek Road may experience increased traffic as a timber harvest gets under way. This is a popular route used by those accessing the Caribou-Targhee National Forest and other areas. Hunters should look for possible equipment and logging trucks on the road beginning this September.

The timber harvest near July Creek Road is on endowment trust land north of St. Anthony. The timber sale is removing dead and dying trees along with thinning the stand. It will also remove downed trees that can pose a fire hazard and will provide income to the Public School Endowment Fund.

Timber management plays an important role in keeping forests healthy and reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfires that can devastate wildlife, watersheds, and communities.

A number of online tools are available to assist those who hunt, fish and recreate on endowment or public lands.

Idaho Fish and Game offers the Idaho Hunt Planner to assist in looking for hunting spots that might avoid increased management activity.

Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) reminds hunters that fire season is not over and most of the state is in Very High fire danger. Hunters can check the Idaho Fire Map that provides locations and information about fires throughout the state.

It is also important to know what fire restrictions are in place before heading out to hunt. IDL offers the Fire Restriction Finder webpage that includes a map of areas under restriction and information regarding what is and isn’t allowed under restrictions.

Please remember to completely extinguish campfires when away from the campsite.

IDL manages about one million acres of endowment timberland which makes up about 6% of forests in Idaho. IDL foresters protect our renewable timber resources by managing the land, harvesting the trees, planting new trees and repeating, sustaining our forests for generations to come.