The laws, benefits and practical uses of local trees
By Dick Dorworth
This is the third of a three-part series on the trees of the Wood River Valley
The Wood River Valley Tree Guide, developed by the Hailey Tree Committee and available on the city websites of Hailey and Ketchum, lists 59 trees under the category “Suggested Species for the Wood River Valley.” Only 13 of them are native to the Wood River Valley, including quaking aspen, boxelder, pine, fir, larch, spruce and cottonwood.
The guide’s introduction states: “The Wood River Valley is a land of many contrasts. Compare the native vegetation of the high-desert plains, evergreen-studded hills, and lush floodplains to the ‘cultured’ forest of city trees.”
The ‘cultured’ forest of nonnative species of trees includes almost all the fruit trees of the Valley, and some species of pine, birch, maple and oak. That is, most of the trees (and shrubbery) along city streets and on private properties of the Wood River Valley are, like its human inhabitants, not native.
Along with beauty, shade, oxygen and wind/sound/sight barriers of privacy, local trees on public land can provide firewood.
Permits to cut firewood in specific areas go on sale usually in May or June, depending on snow and road conditions, at both the Ketchum Ranger District office and at the Sawtooth National Recreation Area Headquarters north of Ketchum. This year the season opened May 30 and will end Nov. 30. Only deadfall or standing dead trees from recent forest fires and pine bark beetles are legal to cut. Permits cost $12.50 per cord, with a two-cord minimum and a 10-cord maximum per household.
The Forest Service cautions early season woodcutters to “be very careful with wet road conditions and avoid them if rutting or getting stuck is a potential.”
It also encourages woodcutters “to cut firewood early in the year because fire restrictions may impact the cutting season later in the summer.”
According to SNRA forester Nelson Mills, “Almost all firewood cutting is done on lodgepole pine and Douglas fir. Most of the others are not desirable.”
The Forest Service website explains: “All motorized travel related to fuelwood gathering must be in strict accordance with official Forest Service travel regulations for the area unless specifically exempted in the firewood permit. Regulations for each forest are available when permits are issued. Each forest firewood permit is also valid on the Boise and Payette national forests; however, fuelwood gatherers are required to have a current fuelwood map of the forest they are cutting in. Areas for cutting firewood may change during the season. Signage on the ground can close or open an area to cutting. For additional information and fuelwood maps, contact the local ranger district offices, or the forest websites.”
Clarification
In an article published Wednesday, Sept. 21, on trees in the Wood River Valley, called Speak for the Trees, there was a misstatement regarding what kinds of trees may be cut for firewood.
Sawtooth National Forest zone forester Nelson Miles said, in fact, woodcutters are allowed to gather wood from dead trees that were burned or beetle killed in the past except for whitebark pine. “Whitebark pine grows at high elevations and is identifiable by clusters of five needles on very flexible branches,” Miles said. “Dead aspen, spruce, and subalpine fir are authorized for firewood cutting as well as lodgepole pine and Douglas fir as long as the woodcutter is gathering in an area identified as open on the woodcutting map.”