STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

Sawtooth National Forest representatives will hold an Open House to showcase the Upper Big Wood Vegetation Management Project on Monday at The Community Library in Ketchum.

The drop-in Open House will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday, May 11.

Stakeholders will be able to address their questions and concerns with specialists from the project’s team.

The project is designed to improve forest health, reduce hazardous fuels and restore historical forest conditions in the Upper Big Wood River drainage. It would cover about 3,000 acres around  Galena Lodge, Baker Creek, Cathedral Pines, Prairie Creek, Senate Creek and Cherry Creek.

Treatments will include thinning small trees and some commercial timber harvest.

Forest Service officials say lodgepole dwarf mistletoe in the area has caused chronic infestations and Douglas-fir beetle western spruce budworm and tussock moth have the potential to damage thousands of areas of high-value recreation forest. Dense stands near structures pose significant wildfire risk.

Learn more at https://usfs-public.app.box.com/s/et3fpukqsrijzneqnimx1pve7t7zrnpt