County Keeps Logging On Levee To Minimum Workers Save Cottonwoods As Habitat For St. Joe River Eagles

More trees were cut last weekend along the St. Joe River during a final round of logging in the name of flood control.

But it was far fewer than last February. Back then, St. Maries residents, environmental activists and federal biologists were dismayed by the number of trees cut along the Meadowhurst levee.

The Idaho Audubon Council threatened to sue if the Riverdale levee also was cleared of cottonwoods.

But based on what she saw during logging last weekend, council member Susan Weller said she thinks there will be enough trees along that stretch to serve as eagle perches.

“The number of trees they cut was fairly reasonable,” she said.

Benewah County is conducting the levee-improvement project under direction of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which says large trees can topple and undermine the earthen levees.

However, county officials decided not to cut Riverdale trees growing outside of the public right of way even though corps representatives had marked some for removal.

“We took just what we absolutely had to. We stayed on our easements,” Commissioner Jack Buell said. “The corps will probably come back and look at that, but we’re going to hang tough.”

Bald eagles - protected under the Endangered Species Act - are starting to return to the river, where they fish for wintertime meals.

But U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists remain concerned about the number of trees cut. They will resume negotiations this fall regarding the best way to make up for the loss of bird habitat.

“Our biggest concern was the large gaps left in the Meadowhurst residential area,” biologist Rick Donaldson said.

The Fish and Wildlife Service asked earlier for the construction of artificial perches and the purchase of other riverside habitat.

Such mitigation is the responsibility of the federal Economic Development Administration, which is paying for the flood-control project.

George Currier, Benewah County civil defense coordinator, expressed relief last week that the levees have been strengthened, saying he doesn’t foresee a repeat of recent disasters. “It’ll be an easy flood fight now.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo