NEPA
Boise Foothills East Habitat Restoration
Between 1957 and 2006, wildfires burned approximately 37,600 acres (75%) of the area between Bogus Basin Road and Lucky Peak Reservoir with approximately 52% of that having burned two or more times. Vegetation in burned areas has changed from deep-rooted perennial plants that stabilize soils and provided habitat for wintering mule deer to shallow-rooted annual plants that provide minimal stabilization or habitat. About 5,000 acres in the Foothills are currently dominated by annuals. Bitterbrush, an important food for mule deer, is absent from a larger area.
The Four Rivers Field Office proposes to maintain, improve and restore healthy vegetation in the Boise Foothills Project Area to minimize the effects of wildland fires, and to evaluate the effectiveness of various treatments in meeting these objectives.
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