The Kootenai Fuel Reduction Project on the 174 acres of Idaho Panhandle National Forests will resume next week.
The project aims to reduce wildfire danger by thinning excess wood on the ground, in the forest, or in the canopy that can increase fire severity.
The U.S. Forest Service also plans to issue a temporary closure on recreational shooting in the immediate area beginning Friday, April 12, to avoid potentially imminent harm caused by shooting in the direction of contractors. This extends to the popular Hayden Creek Forest Service Road 437 shooting pit. Fuel treatments in this area will begin with non-commercial thinning, pruning, and piling, followed by pile burning. Work is expected to last from two to four weeks. All associated closures will be lifted as soon as work is finished.