Yaak Float; © Karen Nichols
The Three Rivers Challenge worked with the goals of:
- providing opportunities for treating small diameter overstocked fuels on certain lands beginning in the wildland urban interface closest to private property and working out reducing hazardous fuels that threaten human communities
- making overstocked fuels available for processing in area mills
- creating jobs in restoration forestry activities — which can include forest thinning, stand improvements, road restoration, underburning, etc — for the purpose of enhancing watersheds and critical fish and wildlife habitat
- providing for the participation of diverse community stakeholders in conjunction with authorized Federal, State and local agencies, in planning how to best use forest land in Lincoln County
- encouraging meaningful, proactive and positive partnership with the Three Rivers District on the Kootenai National Forest
- designating Roderick Inventoried Roadless area as wilderness
- making permanent existing snowmobile use in North West Peaks Scenic Area and portions of Buckhorn Ridge and Mt. Henry Inventoried Roadless areas
- creating a permanent non-motorized area in North West Peaks Inventoried Roadless area and backcountry recreation areas in portions of the Mt. Henry and Buckhorn Ridge Inventoried Roadless Areas
In July, the Three Rivers Challenge and its goals became part of Senator Jon Tester’s Forest Jobs and Recreation Act.