Sawtooth Plan Signed

Wilderness

Public comment played a big role in modifying a plan for managing the Sawtooth Wilderness of central Idaho.

Sawtooth National Forest Supervisor Bill LeVere recently signed the management plan, which had been six years in the making.

The plan will guide management of the 217,088-acre wilderness area west and south of Redfish Lake.

The plan will have its greatest economic effect on outfitters who will have to cut down on client group sizes, LeVere said.

Use of the area has increased 500 percent since 1972. The trend is likely to continue, he said.

The original plan would have banned horses from 11 miles of trails, prohibited grazing and restricted land use more than 100 feet from trails.

The modified plan closes only 2-1/2 miles of trail to stock. Some grazing will be allowed and land use will be allowed up to one-quarter mile from trails, making camping possible.

Bob Powers of the Back Country Horseman said he supports the final outline because there were no major trail closures.

Laura Scales of the Idaho Conservation League said her group was concerned the new plan did not go far enough.