North-central Idaho forest improvements underway with Good Neighbor Authority partnership

The partnership included work to improve access in the Selway area. (Courtesy of the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests)

The Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests and Idaho Department of Fish and Game are working to improve north-central Idaho fish and wildlife habitats and restore forest ecosystem health.

The years-long Good Neighbor Authority partnership now has another $1.3 million for the work, the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests announced in a news release Wednesday.

“We’ve demonstrated our commitment to build a strong partnership that we hoped would support our priorities in the long term,” Tara Ball, Idaho Department of Fish and Game’s partnership lead, said in a news release. “We are starting to see this transpire with work in the Selway, South Fork, and North Fork watersheds and are excited to do good things for wildlife in areas where it matters most.”

In 2020, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game joined the partnership with the national forest. The Idaho Department of Lands is also a partner.

Good Neighbor Authority lets forests use tribal, state and local governments capacities to work toward “shared stewardship objectives,” according to the release.

Through the partnership, Fish and Game has prepared prescribed burns, resource surveys, access improvements and noxious weed control. Partnership work underway includes starting a 3,000 acre project to thin deciduous trees and shrubs to improve wildlife habitat and mitigate fuels.

Future projects planned include mitigating fuels, along with vegetation management treatments and wildlife habitat and watershed improvements.