News Release
Twin Falls District, Idaho
Twin Falls District, Idaho
DATE: Jan. 11, 2018
CONTACT: Kelsey Brizendine, (208)
732-7315
2018 South Hills seasonal road closure to begin soon
BURLEY, Idaho -- The Burley Bureau of Land
Management Field Office will implement a seasonal road closure Jan. 16 to
March 15 in the South Hills area. This closure, which has gone into
effect each winter since 2000, is designed to prevent resource damage and to
protect crucial mule deer winter range and sage-grouse habitat. Signs
have been posted in the area notifying the public of the closure, and gates
have been installed to prevent trespass. The following roads, as well as
any two-tracks or trails tied to these roads, will be closed to motorized
travel from Jan. 16 to March 15, 2018: Dry Creek, Cherry Spring,
Indian Springs (Closure begins 1.5 miles south of Foothills Road) and North
Cottonwood Creek.
The seasonal closure
applies to all motorized vehicles except those specifically authorized to
access the area. Such authorization is provided for search and rescue,
emergency medical services and law enforcement personnel, as well as
administratively approved actions such as livestock grazing activity, access to
private lands and resource monitoring or research studies. The area is open
to the public for non-motorized use.
“Increased human disturbance from motorized
vehicles and off-trail recreation force mule deer to move to lower quality
habitat and expend energy that they are trying to conserve,” said Eric Killoy,
BLM wildlife biologist. “This, in turn, limits foraging ability and reduces fat
reserves essential for survival and reproduction. To sustain healthy
populations of mule deer in the south hills and surrounding areas, it is
crucial to minimize disturbance during these next few months.”
The Magic Valley Regional Office of the Idaho
Department of Fish & Game supports the need to protect wildlife in the
area. “Considering the heavy winter snows this year, and the light fawn body
weights we have been detecting, it makes this closure even more important for
people to honor,” said Kelton Hatch, Fish and Game regional conservation
educator.
For more information
regarding the road closure, please contact Dennis Thompson, BLM Burley field
office recreation planner, at (208) 677-6600.
