Boise National Forest shares ‘disturbing’ photo, pleads with Idahoans to pick up trash

Officials with the Boise National Forest are pleading with Idahoans to pack out trash from campsites and day-use areas, sharing a photo on Facebook on Tuesday showing garbage piled up in a restroom at Kirkham Hot Springs.

“This is the very disturbing situation that is occurring at many Forest Service campsites,” the post said, adding that the photo was taken in April.

The post had been shared nearly 800 times on Tuesday afternoon and garnered dozens of comments and “angry” reactions. Several commenters called for hefty fines to be leveraged on individuals spotted littering.

Many Forest Service vault toilets, like the one pictured in the post, do not have trash cans or provide only small waste receptacles. While some trash cans are available at the Kirkham Hot Springs site near Lowman, the Boise National Forest stops trash and restroom services between late fall and early spring.

Last fall, officials told the Statesman they were converting the Kirkham Campground to a day-use only site in the hopes of remedying issues with late night drinking and partying at the hot springs. John Kidd, Lowman District Ranger for the Boise National Forest, said excessive trash — including human waste — was an issue in the area last year, as well.

The Boise National Forest also issued an emergency closure for the Grimes Creek area south of Idaho City last September, citing excessive trash, human feces and illegal off-road vehicle trails degrading the area.

Shoshone Falls to be lit at night

Shoshone Falls, the Twin Falls-area attraction known as the “Niagara of the West,” will be lit up at night for two weeks during May with colorful changing lights.

Shoshone Falls After Dark will start around 9 p.m. each night from May 14 to May 31 and conclude around midnight. Though it’s not the first time the massive falls have been lit up — in years past, Southern Idaho Tourism has held a similar event called Lights and Lasers — officials said in a news release Tuesday that the lights have been upgraded to provide better color and coverage.

Tickets cost $15 per vehicle, and visitors can purchase passes with timed entry slots online to keep crowding to a minimum.

Visitors can also purchase food and beverages at Shoshone Falls Park.

Greenbelt sections closed for pavement replacement

Two sections of the Boise River Greenbelt are closed for pavement replacement, according to a news release from the city Parks and Recreation Department.

The path on the north side of the Boise River is closed between Americana Boulevard and 9th Street, while the path south of the river is closed from Leadville Avenue to the orange Baybrook Court Bridge. Officials said signs notifying Greenbelt users of the closures were posted on the path Monday.

The projects are part of a series of five upgrades to the Greenbelt slated for this summer. Parks and Rec will replace damaged asphalt with concrete.

Information on the projects and current closures is available online at cityofboise.org.

Fish and Game to relocate elk from Magic Valley

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game will trap and relocate elk from the Magic Valley to Central Idaho in an effort to reduce crop depredation, officials said in a news release last week.

It’s the second year in a row that the agency has trapped animals from a large herd near Little Camas that “has a long history of living almost exclusively on private property and depredating on agricultural crops leading to significant and expensive depredation claims,” Fish and Game said.

The elk will be herded into corrals and transported via trailer to Central Idaho, where elk populations are below Fish and Game objectives in some management zones. In contrast, elk populations in the Magic Valley region are within population objectives, officials said.