Boise National Forest outlines salvage sales, hazard-tree mitigation and free fuel‑wood permits after 2024 fires

Christopher Bentley, Cascade District Ranger for the Boise National Forest, briefed Valley County commissioners on recovery and restoration work after severe wildfires in the district and across the Boise National Forest.

Bentley said the Forest Service will offer forest‑wide free fuel‑wood permits this spring — expanding from a Cascade‑only pilot last year — with each permit allowing four cords free and additional cordage available at the regular rate. He said the 2024 fires left substantial dead-and-down material; on the Cascade District roughly half of the district’s 250,000 acres were affected in some way, with a mix of low, medium and severe burn patches.

To reduce public-safety risks and to restore access, Bentley said the Forest Service is prioritizing hazardous‑tree mitigation and roadside work. ‘‘The goal this year is to make at least one pass of every impacted road within this year,’’ he said, adding that fire crews and contracted sawyer crews will mobilize immediately to…