Public input sought on Emerald Project in St. Joe Ranger District

ST. MARIES — The Idaho Panhandle National Forests is inviting the public to provide input on the Emerald Project.

The Emerald Project area is located within Latah County, but extends slightly into Shoshone County west of Clarkia. The 30-day comment period started Sept. 29 and is open until Oct. 29. Comments may be submitted to the St. Joe Ranger District office by email to comments-northernidpanhandle-stjoe@fs.fed.us, in person, or by phone.

The Emerald Project is intended to improve forest health and increase vegetation resilience, reduce fuels in and around the Wildland Urban Interface, improve the watershed, manage roads and contribute to local economies. The proposed project area is approximately 21,630 acres, and approximately 4,330 acres have been identified for potential treatment.

Forest Supervisor Jeanne Higgins is the responsible official for this project. St. Joe District Ranger Matt Davis encourages public input to help guide the project design.

“I am excited to utilize the tools in the Farm Bill to implement an exciting project that has in mind the local community, private land ownership and the state of Idaho through the Good Neighbor Authority,” Davis said.

Additional information on this project is available at http://www.fs.usda.gov/projects/ipnf/landmanagement/projects.