Idaho Examiner: DRY CONDITIONS FORCE FIRE RESTRICTIONS ON SAND CREEK WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA"Common Sense News"

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DRY CONDITIONS FORCE FIRE RESTRICTIONS ON SAND CREEK WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA

Posted on: June 30, 2007

St. Anthony – The free camping opportunities available at the Idaho Department of Fish & Game’s (IDFG) wildlife management areas (WMAs) are among the state’s many undiscovered gems. While WMAs campsites may lack amenities such as wireless internet and electrical hookups, the settings are priceless and the total lack of fees is astounding. Places like Sand Creek WMA outside of St. Anthony have a number of undeveloped sites that draw a faithful following of campers, but due to extremely try conditions, managers have been forced to put immediate campfire restrictions in place.

The placing of the fire restrictions coincides with a number of other factors. Not only are conditions on the WMA which borders the desert extremely dry, but the upcoming 4th of July holiday sees a large increase in camper numbers. Also, the fact that the remaining two ponds that had been closed to protect nesting trumpeter swans also open to fishing on July 1, means that more people will people will be coming to enjoy the area.

The fire restrictions pertain not only to the established campsites, but anywhere on the WMA. The Idaho Administrative Policies Act (IDAPA) that regulates the management of the WMAs has an existing provision (IDAPA 13D, 2.1, e) to cover such an emergency, as well as the ability of IDFG to cite someone for violating the restriction. The total prohibition of the use of any fireworks (IDAPA 13D, 2.1, f) is an example of IDAPA that is already in place as part of the management of the state’s WMAs.

Questions regarding camping at Sand Creek WMA or any of the department’s other WMAs can be addressed by calling a local IDFG office or visiting the IDFG website at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov. According to Senior Wildlife Technician Kari Dingman who helps manage the WMA, “Fires will remain prohibited until conditions are changed by rain or snow and things aren’t so dry!”

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About Dave Langston

Outdoor writer Dave Langston resides in Chubbuck. He grew up in the Midwest and south fishing and hunting across the country.

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