Coeur d'Alene to seek bids May 6 for $240,000 Tubbs Hill fuel‑reduction project

Coeur d'Alene Parks Department staff said the city will put a fuel‑reduction project on Tubbs Hill out to bid on May 6 after securing a $240,000 hazard‑fuel grant through the Idaho Department of Lands, with a required 10% local match. Urban Forestry staff said the project targets 58.5 acres and is designed to reduce ladder fuels that can carry wildfire into the canopy, protecting homes, trails and park users near the wildland‑urban interface.

"The driving force behind this project is, of course, public safety in the event of a wildfire," Urban Forestry staff, a City of Coeur d'Alene Parks Department presenter, said during a public briefing. The plan calls for a mix of hand treatment, chipping and mastication in limited areas, and pile burning during appropriate late‑season burn windows.

The nut of the project is creating defensible space and fuel breaks in priority corridors, staff said. The project map highlights work abutting McEwen Park, Tubbs Hill Drive, the fire road on Tubbs Hill and East Tubbs; staff said a primary objective is a fuel break around the fire road to ensure safe firefighter access.

Project details and limits

The project prescription posted by staff specifies operational constraints intended to protect the natural area’s aesthetics and habitat. Urban Forestry staff said, "No live trees greater than 8 inches in diameter, DBH, shall be cut," and that logs greater than 6 inches in diameter at the small end will be left on site for ecological benefits. Chips produced by chipping operations will be spread back onto the natural area to a depth not to exceed 2 inches, staff added.

The prescription also names targeted shrub species for removal—ocean spray, ninebark and snowberry—and calls for targeted brush to be cut as low as practicable (under 4 inches) to reduce ladder fuels while retaining key habitat elements and select trees for aesthetics and privacy.

Funding and schedule

City staff and Kootenai County officials confirmed the grant amount and match. "The contract is $240,000 and the match portion required is 10%," Urban Forestry staff said. They said the Tubbs Hill Foundation has committed $12,000 of the $24,000 match and the city will cover the remainder. Andrea Littlefield, grants administrator with the Kootenai County Office of Emergency Management, clarified, "That money is directly contributed towards the contracted work that's being done on the Hill."

Staff said the bid opening is scheduled for May 6; however, a project start date depends on contractor selection and price per acre returned by bidders. Urban Forestry staff warned that if bids exceed available grant funds, the work area mapped could be reduced to stay within the $240,000 grant limit.

Construction methods, access and burning

City staff emphasized that most work on Tubbs Hill will be hand treatment rather than large‑scale mechanized mastication to limit trail damage and soil disturbance. For the fire‑road buffer and other accessible areas, contractors will use a mobile chipper; material smaller than 6 inches will be chipped and spread back into the natural area, while larger pieces will be lopped and scattered.

Pile burning is planned for designated areas shown on the map; staff said burn windows often open in late fall to early winter, sometimes as early as October, and that public notice may be short. "If you live within the downtown area within view of Tubbs Hill and you have concerns about smoke, please keep an eye on our social media accounts and our website for that burn notice," Urban Forestry staff said, noting burn notices can arrive with 48–72 hours' lead time and are subject to being canceled if conditions change.

Trail access will be managed during operations. Parks staff said complete closures of Tubbs Hill are unlikely except during burns; they are coordinating with the Tubbs Hill Foundation to place volunteer ambassadors to guide trail users around closures and to answer questions on site.

Community questions and post‑project maintenance

At a public Q&A, a resident asked whether planting would increase wildlife populations; Urban Forestry staff replied that native plant replanting and seedling programs planned after work should benefit native wildlife. On the timeline, project manager Steve Bridal of Inland Forest Management said, "The bid opening is on May 6... We would like to get the hand piles all built and covered and ready by August so they have a little bit more time to season."

Staff described post‑project steps including native grass seeding, weed control and tree planting contracts, and stressed maintenance is ongoing: the Parks Department will maintain the fuel breaks and coordinate future low‑intensity burns and volunteer programs to keep fuel loads reduced.

What happens next

Staff said the next formal step is the May 6 bid opening. A contract and firm schedule will follow if bids align with the grant budget. The city will post the full prescription, the project map and updates on the City of Coeur d'Alene website and social media; staff noted the presentation will be available on the city's YouTube page.

Questions about the project or burn notices can be directed to the City of Coeur d'Alene Urban Forestry Office; staff also suggested watching the city website and social media for short‑notice burn windows.