July 2024

Rec. briefs

The Junior Ranger program at Ponderosa State Park in McCall invite children ages 6 to 12 to take part in “Fossil’s in the Park,” slated for Saturday at the park’s activity center.

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Fire lookouts across the Payette

There are 11 fire lookouts on the Payette National Forest staffed throughout the summer.The program costs about $140,000 per year in wages and about $3,000 per year in equipment, maintenance and supplies, said Payette Public Information Officer Brian Harris.Funding the program is worth the investment compared to the potentially astronomical cost of fighting the fires that the program prevents.It costs $150,000 per day at the very least to aggressively suppress a fire over 100-acres in size.

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Payette prepares for a busy fire season

The Payette National Forest is preparing for an active fire season following this winter’s below average snowfall and a hot and dry summer forecast.“Above normal fire potential” is expected on the Payette in July and August, possibly extending into September, said Molly Booth, an assistant center manager at the Payette Interagency Dispatch Center in McCall.Above average temperatures and below average precipitation are forecast through August.

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