The Caribou Targhee National Forest in Idaho is advancing on-the-ground project work this summer to improve wildlife habitat and fisheries in the Island Park district. The Greater Yellowstone Coalition is supporting this work through a $125,000 financial contribution, building on a 5-year partnership with the Forest Service, which installed bear-proof canisters on all national forest campgrounds around Yellowstone National Park.

“Taking care of all of the land in the Greater Yellowstone region takes a lot of time and resources,” said Kathy Rinaldi, who leads GYC’s work in Idaho, “The Greater Yellowstone Coalition is proud to partner with local Forest Service staff and provide financial support to improve wildlife habitat on the Caribou Targhee National Forest.” 

Summer project work includes restoration of old roadways that were legally closed through the 1997 Targhee Forest Plan. On-the-ground activities will include: 

• Planting trees and recontouring roadbeds to a more natural slope

• Placing ground cover to mimic natural vegetation, including logs and other organic material

• Replacing old culverts and fixing stream channels

• Installing rock barriers and replacing or bolstering gates

Impacted areas will remain open to the public throughout the project and beyond, but forest managers are asking members of the public to be patient with any delays or access limitations during construction. Once completed, these areas will become part of the natural landscape and remain open to the public for hiking, biking, horseback riding, fishing, hunting, and other non-motorized uses. For more information, visit the Forest Service’s online storymap.

—Kathy Rinaldi, Idaho Conservation Coordinator