BLM to close Pony and Elk Complex fires areas

Map shows areas to be closed to most uses.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Four Rivers Field Office has temporarily closed approximately 54,200 acres of public land to all human uses (all-entry) until April 30, 2014, due to the August 2013 Pony and Elk fires.

The acres have also been closed year-round to all motorized vehicles for up to three years.

The closures are necessary to support fire rehabilitation efforts and to protect crucial winter habitat for mule deer and elk, and key sage-grouse habitat.

The southeastern edge of the closure area is located about seven miles north of Mountain Home and extends 5-7 miles north of the Immigrant and Foothill roads.

Outside of the area closed to all entry, all other forms of non-motorized travel are allowed to accommodate general recreational use that occurs in the area.

During the seasonal all-entry closure, however, only authorized personnel will be allowed in the area.

State Highway 20, county-maintained roads, and the Long Tom Reservoir Road will remain open to general public use during both closures.

In the fall, the BLM will evaluate whether the seasonal all-entry closure will be needed in 2015, depending on the rate of recovery of the area and condition of the wintering elk and mule deer populations.

Significant loss of crucial deer winter range and other wildlife habitat occurred in the Pony and Elk fires.

Various organizations (volunteer, conservation, and user groups such as the Blue Ribbon Coalition and grazing permittees), the Elmore County commissioners and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) were consulted about the closures and support them as a way to facilitate wildlife habitat restoration and reduce wildlife disturbance.

The BLM said it worked closely with the U.S. Forest Service and IDFG in crafting the motorized closure. The all-entry closure was added at the request of IDFG to protect mule deer and elk during a critical time of the year.

The motorized vehicle closure will: allow existing 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 all-entry closure will help minimize human disturbance to mule deer and elk herds during a critical time of the year and help to ensure the long-term viability of their habitat.

Temporary closure signs have been posted at key entry points to the burned area. Compliance with the closure will ensure successful burned area recovery, BLM officials said.

Anyone violating the closure can be fined up to $1,000, imprisoned for up to 12 months, or both. Violators may also be subject to additional fines.

Exempt from the closure are: contractors hired by the BLM to work in the area; search and rescue personnel; federal, state or local law enforcement officials; other employees in the performance of their official duties; and persons with written authorization from the BLM.

The closure map can be found online at http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/advisories-closures.html. Closure maps are also available for viewing at BLM Offices, the USFS Mountain Home Ranger District office and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game office in Nampa.

For more information, contact Larry Ridenhour at 384-3334.