By Steve Stuebner
Writer and Producer
Life on the Range
Many parts of the Boise National Forest are managed for multiple use.
Near Cow Creek summit, west of Mountain Home, Angus cattle graze on mountain slopes. These are known as “rangelands,” which provide nutritious forage for livestock and wildlife.
These are working lands for local ranchers like Charlie Lyons and Jeff Lord. The grazing pastures are a crucial part of their cattle operation.
Just over the hill, people like to go camping, fishing and boating on the South Fork of the Boise River.
In the Danskin Mountains nearby, people ride motorbikes and ATVs on over 200 miles of trails.
Many people who recreate on the Boise National Forest on a regular basis understand that they need to care for the resource and share it respectfully with others for generations to come.
“That’s our beautiful forest. It’s inescapably important to keep it clean and nice,” says Nate Dallolio, who has been riding motorbikes in the Boise National Forest for many years.
Idaho is one of the fastest-growing states in the nation. That’s brought a lot of new visitors to the national forest as well as tourists from out of state.
Newbies may not know much about caring/sharing public lands or multiple use management.
“One thing that’s really important to us is that we’re respecting each other – all of the user groups out here,” said Holly Hampton, Rangeland Management Specialist for the Boise National Forest. “One of the key pieces to getting along is having a little bit of understanding about the uses and resources out there.”
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