The Idaho Panhandle National Forests (IPNF) today announced several forthcoming road closures on the Sandpoint and Bonners Ferry Ranger Districts. The closures will facilitate road maintenance and repair activities through September.
Before traveling in the area, travelers should check the Alerts page on the IPNF website for maps and up-to-date information on closure timing and duration.
Impacts on the Bonners Ferry Ranger District will include:
- Traffic delays and heavy truck traffic on Snow Creek Road (Forest Service Road 402), Cooks Pass Road (Forest Service Road 661), Caribou Pass Road (Forest Service Road 1007), and North Caribou Creek Road (Forest Service Road 2646) during August and September until repair activities are completed.
- Due to construction activity to replace culverts on Black Creek and Cabin Creek, a 1.72-mile section of Callahan Creek Boulder Road (Forest Service Road 427) will be closed for three weeks from its junction with Forest Service Road 408 to its junction with Forest Service Road 2624 beginning August 19, 2024. Road 427 provides access to the Boulder Meadows Area. An alternative access route to Boulder Meadows is Forest Service Road 2624.
On National Forests, the Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) is the authority on where and when motor vehicles are permitted to operate. As hunting season approaches, the Idaho Panhandle National Forests (IPNF) reminds the public that the forest’s MVUMs include a schedule of annual, seasonal road and trail closures, with many going into effect in the fall.
The IPNF encourages anyone traveling forest roads after mid-August to check the Seasonal and Special Vehicle Designations table on the MVUM prior to planning their trip. MVUMs for each district on the IPNF can be found online and for free at ranger stations.
“We understand that road and trail closures can be an inconvenience for all users of the forest,” says Matt Slifko, District Wildlife Biologist for the Coeur d’Alene River Ranger District. “But these closures are there for the benefit both of large game species including elk, and the people who hunt them; as well as to other large species like grizzly bears that require vast non-motorized landscapes.”
On the Bonners Ferry, Priest Lake, and Sandpoint districts, closures are focused on meeting the secure habitat needs for grizzly bears, while on the Coeur d’Alene River and St. Joe districts, closures are for elk security.
According to Slifko, seasonal closures help wildlife species reduce stress and energy expenditure associated with fleeing motorized use areas. They also minimize disturbance during critical mid-winter periods when availability of forage is scarce due to snow depth, and during birthing and parturition periods in springtime.
Users can expect gates to be locked on routes where seasonal closures are in effect, but the routes remain open for non-motorized use throughout the closure period.
“The implementation and compliance with these seasonal closures ultimately assist in sustaining populations into the future, which is where the benefit to hunters really comes in,” says Slifko. “Hunters can expect game to utilize and be more plentiful in areas where seasonal route closures are in effect. This equates to increased odds of spotting game and successfully harvesting an animal.”
Violations of seasonal closures can affect big game species, grizzlies, and the likelihood of productive hunts. Reports of violations can be made to the Forest Supervisor’s Office at (208) 765-7223.