Conversations

When it comes to no-wake zones, the rule is “the wider the better,” University of Idaho professor Frank Wilhelm told a room of concerned citizens last week.Wilhelm and graduate student Garret Homer presented the results of a summerlong study of Payette Lake that focused on how wakes from motor boats affect nutrients that harm water quality.“There is good evidence to show that at 500 to 600 feet, you can mitigate some of the big waves that are coming ashore,” said Wilhelm.The current no-wake zone is set at 300-feet on Payette Lake and all lakes in Valley County, with some exceptions.About 90 people attended the presentation at the Payette National Forest Supervisor’s Office in McCall on Thursday, July 11.Homer completed the bulk of the field and lab work as part of his senior research thesis at the University of Idaho.

Peering through Binoculars, Evan Lunning did not know if the white puffs he could see from his perch atop the Carey Dome Fire Lookout were wildfire smoke, or the low-lying clouds that often float through the Salmon River canyon.Lunning had seen lightning strikes in the area the night before, and erring on the side of caution, he radioed the Payette Interagency Dispatch Center in McCall to report a smoke sighting.

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.

The Boise National Forest is seeking public comments on increased fees for campgrounds, rental cabins and day use areas.There are 18 sites on the Cascade Ranger District that would see new or increased fees and 64 total sites across the Boise Forest.Fees in most campgrounds would increase by $5 to $10, while fees for cabins would increase by up to $80.The proposed fees are needed to maintain, repair, improve and expand the increasingly popular recreation sites, according to the Forest Service.Fees would be used to add campsites, expand spurs to accommodate modern-sized camp trailers, and install toilets and picnic tables that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.If approved, the fees would go into effect in 2025.“The forest has seen a substantial increase in recreational use as the area’s population has grown and with that, the need for upkeep and improving our developed recreation sites,” said Boise Forest Supervisor Brant Petersen.“It’s been 26 years since we last increased fees on our campgrounds and rental cabins,” Petersen said.For a complete list of proposed fee changes, visit www.fs.usda.gov/boise and select “News & Events” in the “about us” menu.If the fees are adopted, about 70% of the Boise Forest’s developed recreation sites would continue to not charge a fee, Petersen said.Comments can be made through Sept.