2014 Thinning Sagebrush in Oregon Trail Reserve

The City of Boise, Trinity Presbyterian Church, and the Idaho Transportation Department own large undeveloped and occluded areas with heavy fuel loads in the Oregon Trail area. This land is directly adjacent to the nearby homes of Surprise Valley, Homestead Rim, Cove East, Oregon Trail Heights and Columbia Village. Large, dense sagebrush and other shrubby vegetation provide ample fuel to spread wildfire. Much of this land is situated on sloped terrain, which increases the wildfire risk potential for homes upslope, and were similar to fuel loads that spread fire in the 2008 Oregon Trail Fire.

In 2014, the Wildfire Mitigation Team partnered with the Idaho Transportation Department to thin approximately 30 acres of sagebrush along densely vegetated slopes.The ultimate goal of projects taking place in Oregon Trail Reserve are to create a sustainable fuel break in the Oregon Trail Reserve area, from Holcomb Road to Highway 21. Projects in 2015 and 2016 helped reach this goal. 

Before and after sagebrush thinning on the slopes of Oregon Trail Reserve.