CHIMNEY ROCK CHRONICLES December 2011 Volume 6, Issue 4 EDITOR’S NOTE This is the latest issue of Chimney Rock Chronicles, brought to you by The Newport and Gem State Miner Newspapers. Anyone with comments, suggestions or submissions is encouraged to contact our offices at 509-447- 2433, e-mail [email protected] or mail to P.O. Box 349 Newport, WA 99156. The Miner staff enjoys producing this quarterly newsletter, as it gives us a chance to focus on what is happening around Priest Lake. We maintain our unbiased point of view and want to focus on news stories and events that affect the community of Priest Lake. If you would like to receive a subscription to this newsletter, contact us by the above information. -Michelle Nedved, Editor Find Chimney Rock Chronicles online at The Miner Online www.pendoreillerivervalley.com COURTESY PHOTO|WWW.PRIESTLAKER.COM Cold weather sets in Steam rises from the water of Priest Lake as temperatures dropped and fall set in. Critical habitat proposed for Selkirk caribou BOISE – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Nov. 29 a proposal to designate critical habitat for endangered woodland caribou in the south- ern Selkirk Mountains. About 375,562 acres are be- ing proposed for designation as critical habitat in Bonner and Boundary counties in Idaho and Pend Oreille County, Wash. Snowmobiling restrictions in high elevation areas north of Priest Lake remain in effect while the U.S. Forest Service de- vises a new winter travel plan. Caribou prefer elevations above 4,000 feet and steep terrain with old-growth forests. When winter snow deepens, mountain caribou feed almost exclusively on arboreal lichens that occur on trees that are typically 125 years or older. The loss of old growth forest to timber harvest and wildfire is the primary threat to the species’ survival. Human activi- ties such as road-building and recreational trails can also frag- ment caribou habitat and facili- tate the movement of predators into the caribou’s range. The southern Selkirk Moun- tains caribou was listed as an endangered species in 1984, and the herd now totals about 46 animals. The listing didn’t come with land designated for caribou recovery. A 2002 lawsuit brought by environmental groups De- fenders of Wildlife, The Lands Council, Selkirk Conserva- tion Alliance, and Center for Biological Diversity petitioned the USFWS to designate habitat. A 2009 settlement agreement gave the service until Nov. 20 to submit a final rule. Under the Endangered Species Act, critical habitat identifies SEE CARIBOU, 4
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Mar 23, 2016
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CHIMNEY ROCK CHRONICLESDecember 2011
Volume 6, Issue 4
EDITOR’S NOTEThis is the latest issue of Chimney
Rock Chronicles, brought to you by The Newport and Gem State Miner Newspapers. Anyone with comments, suggestions or submissions is encouraged to contact our offices at 509-447-2433, e-mail [email protected] or mail to P.O. Box 349 Newport, WA 99156.
The Miner staff enjoys producing this quarterly newsletter, as it gives us a chance to focus on what is happening around Priest Lake. We maintain our unbiased point of view and want to focus on news stories and events that affect the community of Priest Lake.
If you would like to receive a subscription to this newsletter, contact us by the above information.
-Michelle Nedved, Editor
Find Chimney Rock
Chronicles online at
The Miner Onlinewww.pendoreillerivervalley.com
COURTESY PHOTO|WWW.PRIESTLAKER.COM
Cold weather sets inSteam rises from the water of Priest Lake as temperatures dropped and fall set in.
Critical habitat proposed for Selkirk caribou
BOISE – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Nov. 29 a proposal to designate critical habitat for endangered woodland caribou in the south-ern Selkirk Mountains.
About 375,562 acres are be-ing proposed for designation as critical habitat in Bonner and Boundary counties in Idaho and Pend Oreille County, Wash. Snowmobiling restrictions in high elevation areas north of Priest Lake remain in effect while the U.S. Forest Service de-vises a new winter travel plan.
Caribou prefer elevations above 4,000 feet and steep
terrain with old-growth forests. When winter snow deepens, mountain caribou feed almost exclusively on arboreal lichens that occur on trees that are typically 125 years or older.
The loss of old growth forest to timber harvest and wildfire is the primary threat to the species’ survival. Human activi-ties such as road-building and recreational trails can also frag-ment caribou habitat and facili-tate the movement of predators into the caribou’s range.
The southern Selkirk Moun-tains caribou was listed as an endangered species in 1984,
and the herd now totals about 46 animals. The listing didn’t come with land designated for caribou recovery.
A 2002 lawsuit brought by environmental groups De-fenders of Wildlife, The Lands Council, Selkirk Conserva-tion Alliance, and Center for Biological Diversity petitioned the USFWS to designate habitat. A 2009 settlement agreement gave the service until Nov. 20 to submit a final rule.
Under the Endangered Species Act, critical habitat identifies
SEE CARIBOU, 4
CHIMNEY ROCK CHRONICLES PAGE 2 2011
Chamber’s annual meeting at NickelplatePRIEST LAKE – The Priest
Lake Chamber of Commerce board invites members to the annual meeting and Christ-mas party Wednesday, Dec. 14. This year’s dinner hosts will be Randy and Debbie of the Nickelplate Restaurant at Nordman.
The evening begins with a no host bar cocktail hour at 6 p.m., a time to visit with local business associates and the chamber board.
Dinner will begin at 7 p.m. with a loaded salad bar, fol-lowed by your choice of prime rib or walleye dinner.
Dessert will complete the meal.
Dinner is $18 per person, not including gratuity.
There will also be an op-tional gift exchange, with a $10 limit per gift.
RSVP by Dec. 7 at [email protected], or call Eileen at 208-443-3191.
Fuels reduction project up
for commentPRIEST LAKE – The Priest
Lake Ranger District is prepar-ing for a forest fuels reduction project in the Lakeview-Reeder area.
The ranger district released the supplemental draft envi-ronmental impact statement (DSEIS) for the Lakeview-Reed-er Hazardous Fuels Reduction project Nov. 23. The DSEIS updates the original Envi-ronmental Impact Statement to include recent additional requirements for the evalua-tion of wildlife habitat within the project area.
The fuel reduction project is intended to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire to com-munities and to promote forest health in the areas surround-ing Reeder Bay, Lakeview Mountain and Bismark Mead-ows, just west of Priest Lake.
“Our local communities have been hugely supportive of this project since its incep-tion, so we are looking forward to working together through the public comment period to develop a decision that pro-vides both improved forest health and improved wildfire resilience,” Priest Lake district ranger Glen Klingler said.
The U.S. Forest Service would reduce fuels on about 2,319 acres. To access the area, road maintenance work would occur on about 18 miles of road, with reconstruction on 2 miles and approximately 3 miles of new construction – 2.4 miles of permanent road, and 0.7 miles temporary road.
The work supplements other road related activities recently implemented, which improve
wildlife habitat and minimize the effects of project work on aquatic habitats and wild-life within the project area, according to a Forest Service news release.
The original Environmen-tal Impact Statement for the Lakeview-Reeder project was issued in December 2009 and a final decision was made in April 2010. Shortly after the April decision, two court cases in the 9th Circuit Court of Ap-peals resulted in rulings that affect the evaluation of wildlife habitat on Forest Service proj-ects throughout the west.
Based on an evaluation of these rulings, the Idaho Panhandle National Forests chose to rescind the original project decision to conduct additional scientific analysis of wildlife habitat for the project. With the additional analysis complete, the forest is issuing the Supplemental EIS for public comment before a final SEIS is completed and a new decision released.
The Draft Supplemental En-vironmental Impact Statement is available for review online at the Lakeview-Reeder Hazard-ous Fuels Reduction webpage. A 45-day comment period is expected to begin Dec. 2.
Written comments may be sent to A.J. Helgenberg, Lakeview-Reeder Project Team Leader, Sandpoint Ranger District, 1602 Ontario St., Sandpoint, Idaho 83864. Submitted electronically to: [email protected].
For more information con-tact the Priest Lake Ranger District at 208-443-2512.
Priest Lake sportsman’s dinner, auction Dec. 2
NORDMAN – The annual Priest Lake sportsman’s dinner and auction is planned for Friday, Dec. 2 at the Nickelplate Restau-rant in Nordman.
The horn and antler contest judging for youth and adults be-gins at 4 p.m. with dinner start-ing at 6 p.m. Bring your favorite game meat dinner to share with everyone.
The money earned from the auction goes back to the com-
munity. It supports the annual fishing
clinic, the local student college scholarship program and the archery in schools program.
The dinner costs $7, and chil-dren under 12 eat for $3. Pay by cash or check.
The Sportsman’s Club is in need of donations for its auction. Those interested in donating can contact Waylon or Lani Meek at [email protected].
Water, sewer district receives interest-free loan
NORDMAN – The Granite Reeder Water and Sewer District was awarded a $1.5 million interest free wastewater con-struction loan through the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality.
The $1.5 million will be used for engineering design of the Phase 2B of the sewer collection system. The raw sewage pressure sewer will use HDPE piping for all force mains, grinder pump units at individual residences, and a localized gravity sewer system with a submersible lift station at the Elkins Resort.
The Granite Reeder Water and Sewer District qualifies for a disadvantaged loan, because the annual cost of wastewater service for residential customers is more than 1.5 percent of the average household income.
The DEQ’s State Revolving Loan Fund carries no interest rate, is payable for over 20 years, and has a $128,537 principal forgiveness. The favorable loan terms represent $854,710 in savings to the community when it is compared to the average cost for municipal obligation bonds, according to DEQ.
CHIMNEY ROCK CHRONICLES PAGE 3 2011
Forest roads may close for grizzly bear recovery
COURTESY MAP|U.S. FOREST SERVICE
The Selkirk grizzly bear recovery ecosystem (SE) includes 2,200 square miles of land in Pend Oreille County, northern Idaho and Canada. About 30 bears live in the U.S. portion of the zone. A new amendment to the forest plan could close some roads within the grizzly recovery area.
BY JANELLE ATYEOOF THE MINER
COEUR D’ALENE – A new ac-cess management plan aims to curb human encounters with grizzly bears within the recov-ery zones for grizzlies in the northern part of Idaho, Pend Oreille County and Montana.
The change could close 34 to 102 miles of roads since most human encounters and grizzly bear mortalities have happened near roads.
Grizzlies have been listed as a threatened species since 1975. There are approximately 30 living in the U.S. portion of the Selkirk ecosystem, which covers the northeast corner of Washington, North Idaho and into Canada. The population has been slowly increasing. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game is working on updated figures.
The decision released Monday impacts the Selkirk and Cabi-net-Yaak Grizzly Bear Recov-ery Zones, which spans three forests – the Idaho Panhandle, Kootenai and Lolo. The forest supervisors for each forest selected Alternative E Updated to set standards for road density in core grizzly habitat. Other alternatives could have closed up to 1,800 miles of road and possibly some campgrounds.
No on-the-ground changes will be implemented yet. Those will be made after further envi-ronmental analysis and public input, which could take up to eight years.
Other areas are managed separately. As part of an agree-ment from 2001 with the Colville National Forest, the Stimson Lumber Co. is working to minimize effects to grizzlies
in the LeClerc area, and the Idaho Department of Lands is working with a conservation plan in the Priest Lake area. The area at Priest Lake that is closed to snowmobilers to protect caribou coincides with the grizzly ecosystem.
IPNF supervisor Mary Farn-sworth said the Forest Service’s latest decision came from many years of working with local communities and incorporat-ing the best available science. She said this change balances the needs of the bears while allowing for recreation.
The changes were discussed through an Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee comprised of representatives from the U.S. Forest Service, the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Geological Survey and repre-sentatives of the state wildlife agencies of Idaho, Montana, Washington and Wyoming.
Development of the Griz-zly Bear Access Amendment began with a settlement agree-ment resulting from a lawsuit filed against the Idaho Pan-handle and Kootenai national forests for adopting a Selkirk and Cabinet-Yaak Grizzly Bear Recovery Zones Access Man-agement Interim Rule Set in 1999 without amending their forest plans.
An Environmental Impact Statement to update the forest plans was issued in 2002 and a Record of Decision was signed in 2004.
The decision was appealed and litigated based on questions related to the adequacy of the science used in the formation of the 2002 EIS.
The newly issued deci-sion triggers a 45-day appeal period. Copies of the docu-ments are available online at http://www.fs.fed.us/nepa/fs-usda-pop.php/fs-usda-pop.php?project=24882.
Learn about investing and prospecting
at library
PRIEST LAKE – The Priest Lake Library invites the public to two educational activities, Saturday, Dec. 3.
The first is an investing pre-sentation hosted by Seth Callos, a financial advisor from Edward Jones in Priest River, starting at 10 a.m. It will run for about an hour.
At 1 p.m., Dean Yongue, a geologist and surveyor from the Blanchard area will host a pros-pecting presentation, which will cover areas of prospecting crystals and gold. This will also last about an hour.
Anyone interested should call and reserve a seat at 208-443-2454.
Meet new library director at open house
PRIEST LAKE – The Priest Lake Public Library will host a holiday open house Saturday, Dec. 10, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the library.
Attend and meet the new library director Beverly Rich-mond, who will be on hand to meet and greet the public. Richmond comes to Priest Lake from Concrete, Wash., where she was senior library assistant at Upper Skagit Library. She has many years’ experience as a library assistant, technical services assistant, and knowledge technician at various libraries in western Washington.
Enjoy tasty holiday treats, check out a book or video, access the 24/7 Wi-Fi from your laptop, or view the library’s updated computer area.
CHIMNEY ROCK CHRONICLES PAGE 4 2011
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geographic areas that contain features essential for the conser-vation of a listed species. Federal agencies must consult with the USFWS on projects that would modify the habitat. The designa-tion of critical habitat does not affect land ownership or estab-lish a refuge, wilderness, reserve, or other conservation area.
The proposed habitat designa-tion is the first part of a two-step process. USFWS will gather information about caribou from
other agencies and tribes. Comments and materials con-
cerning this proposed rule can be submitted by Jan. 30, 2012, electronically at www.regula-tions.gov, docket No. FWS–R1-ES-2011-0096 and click on the Proposed Rules on the left side of the screen. Comments may be mailed to Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS–R1-ES-2011-0096; Division of Policy and Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, MS 2042–PDM; Arlington, VA 22203.
CARIBOU | FROM PAGE 1
Library gets new computersPRIEST LAKE – The Priest
Lake Library recently received seven new computers, that have Windows 7 and Microsoft Office 2010. Patrons do not have to
have a library card to use the computers. The library also of-fers black and white copies for 10 cents per page and color for 25 cents per page.
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CHIMNEY ROCK CHRONICLES PAGE 7 2011
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RETURN ADDRESS:The MinerP.O. Box 349Newport, WA 99156
Reproduction of articles & photographs is prohibited without permission from The Newport and Gem State Miner publisher.
Chimney Rock ChroniclesDecember 2011
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