Areas Affected by Pony and Elk Fires Reopened
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BOISE, ID - The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Four Rivers Field Office announced today the opening of about 54,200 acres of public land north of Mountain Home to motorized entry. The 2013 Pony and Elk Fires affected these BLM-managed lands. The BLM had restricted motorized entry to support fire rehabilitation efforts and to protect wintering big game and sage-grouse habitat.
"Our overall goal is always to open areas burned by wildfires to the public as soon as they recover,” said Four Rivers Field Manager Tate Fischer. “The severity of the Pony and Elk Fires lengthened that time, but the vegetation and wildlife in the burned area have now recovered to the point where the restriction is no longer necessary. We're pleased to reopen the area to public motorized use this spring. However, users must continue to stay on existing roads and trails – cross-country motorized travel is not allowed in the area.”
The motorized vehicle restriction was implemented to allow plants time to recover from the effects of the fire; allow seeded shrub, forb and grass species to become established; help to slow the spread of noxious weeds; and allow burned areas to re-establish a vegetative cover, which protects the soil from erosion and provides for moisture retention.
The BLM will continue to work closely with the Idaho Department of Fish & Game to manage public lands to provide suitable wildlife habitat for species such as mule deer, elk and sage-grouse.
For more information, please contact Larry Ridenhour at 208-384-3334.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.