Friday, February 5, 2010

Elk closures instated near Ketchum

Trails in Warm Springs area closed to protect wintering herd

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By JON DUVAL
Express Staff Writer

To protect wintering big game, the Sawtooth National Forest implemented a closure in the Warm Springs drainage Tuesday. The closure stretches from the West Fork of Warm Springs Creek east to Ketchum, encompassing the south-facing slopes on the north side of Warm Springs Road. Courtesy graphic.

Trails throughout Warm Springs and Board Ranch were closed Tuesday as part of an annual policy to protect wintering elk and deer, for which the cold months in the Wood River Valley can be difficult.

The Sawtooth National Forest announced earlier this week that the closure includes all national forest land from Ketchum out to the West Fork of Warm Springs Creek. It applies primarily to the south-facing slopes along Warm Springs Road running from the Warm Springs bridge to just before Bassett Gulch to the west.

How long the closure lasts will depend on the severity of the winter and the condition of the animals as springtime approaches.

"This is a yearly closure that is routinely implemented when the presence of wintering big game animals and snow depth indicate that protection is warranted," Ketchum Ranger District Range Technician Bill Whitaker stated in a press release. "As much as possible, if visitors see any wintering animals in the backcountry, they should keep their distance and allow the animals a wide berth."

Especially in the hardest of winters, wild animals migrate from the mountains into the Wood River Valley for its relative shelter and the fact that food and water are more easily available to them.

The closure area will be signified by posted signs at normal access points.

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For more information on the closure, call the Ketchum Ranger District at 622-5371.

Jon Duval: jduval@mtexpress.com