Northern Region Site
Washington Office Site
USDA Site
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Snowmobiling on the Kaniksu Portion of the Idaho Panhandle NFs
UPDATE FOR 2008-2009 WINTER SEASON
Travel Restrictions Still in Effect. Over-snow motorized travel will continue to be restricted for the 2008-2009 winter season based on legal rulings of November 7, 2006 and February 27, 2007. The forest will comply with the court's ruling that restricts motorized winter travel within portions of the designated recovery area for the woodland caribou.
Updated trail maps will be available at our Sandpoint, Bonners Ferry, and Priest Lake offices, and our Supervisor's Office in Coeur d'Alene after January 1. An online (10mb pdf) version is available now.
In the meantime, we are continuing to develop a winter travel plan that incorporates motorized travel in compliance with laws, regulations and other direction that balances the quantity and quality of experiences provided with resource management objectives including types of uses and restrictions. For information on the Winter Travel Plan project for the Selkirk Mountains, please visit:
www.fs.fed.us/ipnf/kaniksu/wintertravelplan/
  2008-2009 Snowmobile Trail Map (10.0mb pdf)
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Our Rich Heritage
The Idaho Panhandle National Forests contain the traces of human history dating back thousands of years. Our Heritage web pages tell a portion the IPNF story through photos, articles and documents that have been produced since the Heritage program first began in the late 1970s.
 Heritage Program
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Seasons Greetings!
For the freshest Christmas trees around, check out the tree lot in your backyard - the IPNF. See our online brochure for guidelines on cutting Christmas trees on the Idaho Panhandle National Forests. New this year - permits by mail for Christmas tree cutting on our Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District!
 Maps and brochuresChristmas trees
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Travel and Access Management
The Idaho Panhandle National Forests are currently developing travel and access management plans for each national forest zone under its administration. These public travel planning projects include:
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![[photo]Photo of Selkirk Crest.](selkirksm.jpg "[photo]Photo of Selkirk Crest.")
![[photo]ATV riders on a forest road.](atvs_by_roadsm.jpg "[photo]ATV riders on a forest road.")
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In 2005, the Forest Service published a new rule for providing motor vehicle access to national forests and grasslands. The final rule (PDF-220k) requires each national forest and grassland to designate those roads, trails, and areas open to motor vehicle use. The rule itself does not designate roads or areas for motor vehicles, but provides a framework for making those decisions at the local level. The purpose of our travel and access management planning efforts is to:
- Bring the current travel plan into compliance with laws, regulations and other higher level management direction.
- Designate a reasonable route system for motorized public access and recreation travel on the zone, considering both the quantity and quality of experiences provided, in balance with forest management objectives and resource concerns; and
- Identify the types of use and restrictions associated with each designated route.
Please visit the webpages for individual travel planning projects for more information.
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Geographic Information Systems
The IPNF uses geographic information systems technology (GIS) for many purposes - from mapping fire locations to identifying where forest types occur across the landscape. Over time, we will be adding many base map layers and associated tabular data to our online GIS library so check back often to see what is new.
 Your ForestGIS
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Forest Plan Revision
What is Forest Plan Revision? How can I be involved? The Kootenai and Idaho Panhandle National Forests' (KIPZ) Forest Plans are near the end of their intended 15-year life and over the next few years, the plans will be revised to reflect resource and social changes on both Forests as well as new scientific information. Public participation is essential in its success! Follow the links below to obtain current information on Forest Plan Revision process, public meetings and much more!
Forest Plan Revision
IPNF 1987 Forest Plan
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News and Public Announcements
Meeting announcements, changes in office hours, road restrictions... You'll find it all in our press releases page!
Press releases
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What is the USFS, anyway?
The Forest Service is best summarized by its mission statement, "Caring for the Land and Serving People." But like any government agency its purpose and internal workings are not so apparent to the general public. Check out this page to learn a little more about "who we are and what we do!"
 About the USFS
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What do you think?
We would like to know if there is anything you feel is missing from the site. Looking for certain information, and couldn't find it? Please tell us so that we can add that information in the future!
Make a comment
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