Local residents could be excused for taking for granted the bald, grassy summits, numerous aspen and cottonwood-lined draws and lonely trails and jeep tracks that encircle the southern half of the Wood River Valley. The area's abundant ridges and snaking sagebrush-dotted valleys seem to stretch on forever.
But with nonstop population growth contributing to a spike in recreational demands on these wonderful lands, perhaps it's high time the area receives its public due.
And that's set to happen at a public meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 30. During the meeting—in the upstairs meeting room at the Old Blaine County Courthouse in Hailey—the public will have the chance to view and comment on a detailed plan that maps out the future of these popular lands.
A follow-up meeting in the same location will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 7.
At each meeting, the public will be able to view the culmination of more than a year's worth of work that looked at the many benefits provided by the complex mix of public and private lands in the southern Wood River Valley.
Called the "Wood River Valley Lands Benefits Study," the more than 100-page report was developed through a partnership of Blaine County and the Twin Falls District of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, which manages extensive tracts of land on both the east and west sides of the valley.
Acting on behalf of the valley community and through the office of the Blaine County Commission, the BLM worked with Arizona State University's School of Community Resources and Development to complete the study. In all, 14 focus group meetings were held in Hailey during the winter and summer of 2006.
Also available for viewing during the meeting will be a set of maps showing preliminary recommendations for managing winter and summer recreational use on the scattered BLM lands that blanket large sections of hillside lands in the southern valley.
The maps, drawn up with the help of public input generated during the 2006 focus group meetings, detail what lands are deemed appropriate for what recreational uses and in what seasons.
One aspect of the maps that is sure to generate considerable discussion both for and against are the recommendations laid out on the winter recreational use map. The color-coded maps specify where snowmobiling, backcountry skiing and other winter uses are deemed appropriate or inappropriate.
On the large map, the color blue is easily the most extensive. Viewed on the map key, it's apparent that blue stands for hillside lands considered prime wildlife wintering habitat. Under the preliminary plan, these lands would be closed to protect wintering wildlife during a portion of the winter.
In a similar way, the summer map lays out where uses like mountain biking, hiking, horse riding and motorcycle riding are appropriate. At first glance, the proposed closures for particular recreational uses that are outlined on the summer map don't seem anywhere near as extensive as on the winter map.
Of course, these are just preliminary maps, and officials with the BLM and Blaine County are hoping local residents will come to next week's meeting to make their feelings known about the direction the planning effort is taking.
Prior to the meetings, the final report of the Wood River Valley Lands Benefits Study can be found on the Blaine County Web site (www.co.blaine.id.us).
