LAKEFACE-LAMB HISTORY

The Lakeface-Lamb Forest Stewardship Project is centered in a wildland/urban interface. Forest Restoration activities are taking place on the federal lands that surround residential and commercial properties along the southwest shore of Priest Lake, Idaho. The project area covers approximately 7200 acres with restoration activities taking place on over 1600 of those acres. Intermingled in this area are 2000 acres of private land.

The Project seeks to address the problems typically encountered in our western forests where there is increasing development on nearby land: declining forest health leading to fuels buildup that increases the chances of catastrophic wildfires, a decrease in availability of wildlife habitat, and the introduction of non-native, invasive and sometimes noxious plant species.

In February of 2002, Priest River Development Corporation (PRDC) and their Stewardship Advisory Committee were awarded the Lakeface-Lamb Stewardship Project. The 7 person advisory committee have been implementing this project since the beginning. PRDC and the Stewardship Committee became the first non-profit organization to work on a federal land Stewardship contract in the nation.

In 2005 the Stewardship Committee formally formed as a 501 (c) 3 group called the Priest Community Forest Connection As the Lakeface-Lamb project has progressed, pride in the community, an improvement in our economy, and a deeper understanding of the surrounding forests has all greatly increased. Local businesses and contractors, the local School District and many individuals have become involved in this unique collaborative partnership.

Of special mention is the all-volunteer citizen group called the Monitoring Committee. This group has spent the last 5 ½ years monitoring all aspects of the project and giving their feedback to the Forest Service and the Stewardship Committee.

CONTRACT SPECIFICATIONS

Specific restoration efforts have improved the environmental health of our forests, rivers and lakes. The "mandatory" contract activities of the Lakeface-Lamb project included:

• Reforestation
• Handpiling
• Mechanical Piling
• Slashing
• Fire Line Construction
• Burning ( slash and hand piles and underburning)
• Leave Tree Protection (2700 trees

There were also number of "optional" contract activities. That means that they may be achieved (depending on time, money, etc.) but are not required. These activities included:

• Riparian Fencing
• Recreation Hut
• ATV Trail Obliteration
• White Pine Pruning
• Road Maintenance
• Interpretive Signs
• Culvert Replacement
• Road Obliteration

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES were added to the contract due to restoration needs and the continued collaboration between the Forest Service, PCFC and the public at large:

• Additional Road Obliterations
• Hazard Tree Removal
• Roadside Brush/Slash Removal
• Campground Toilet
• Lakeshore Road Realignment
• CE harvest and fuel reduction units

LAKEFACE-LAMB STATUS

• Contract Awarded to PRDC - February 2002
• On-the-ground Implementation began in May 2002 (Priest River Development Corporation w/ Stewardship Advisory Committee)
• Priest Community Forest Connection created in December 2005
• PCFC gains 501 (c) 3 status in February 2006
• PCFC opens office in April 2007
• PCFC becomes prime contractor of the Lakeface-Lamb contract in January 2007

Completed Activities as of October 2007 :

• Harvesting: nearly 1300 acres
• Handpiling of fuels: over 250 acres
• Slashing and grapple piling of fuels: nearly 1300 acres
• Slashing for broadcast burning = 100 acres
• Burning of harvest and fuel reduction debris!!
• Fireline Construction: 560 chains
• Road Maintenance: hundreds of thousands of $'s (12 miles of brushing, clearing and grubbing and just under 20 miles of reconditioning and rebuilding)
• White Pine Pruning: 64 acres
• Tree planting: 47,064 trees
• Road obliterations: approximately 4.5 miles
• Recreation shelter and toilet at historic CCC camp
• Road realignment and trail construction on old roadbed
• Road Maintenance package: erosion control
• Windstorm damage ~ tree and slash debris removal

(Also, please refer to the list of additional activities (above) that have been completed.)

VIDEO AND SLIDE SHOW

The following links lead to a 21-minute video, filmed in 2003 and 2004, depicting the beginning activities of the Lakeface-Lamb Land Stewardship Project. Choose the link based on your internet connection speed.

Also see a slideshow of recently completed projects: