Idaho auctions federal timber in deal with Forest Service

BOISE – Idaho officials have auctioned timber on federal land as part of an agreement with the U.S. Forest Service intended to increase logging and reduce the severity of wildfires.

The Jasper II West timber sale on the Idaho Panhandle National Forests in northern Idaho is the third timber sale sold by the Idaho Department of Lands under the federal Good Neighbor Authority program.

Stimson Lumber Company on Thursday submitted the winning bid of $1.47 million to log 306 acres north of Priest River. The Idaho Department of Lands says the company will be removing dead and dying timber.

Money from the sale will reimburse the state, and leftover money will be used for restoration projects on the forest.