Palouse Prairie Rehabilitation
Background: Mary Minerva McCroskey Memorial State Park (McCroskey Park) is a 5300-acre, true multiple use state park (motorized, non-motorized trail use, camping and horseback riding) dedicated to the memory of pioneer women and the hardships they endured. It was not originally set up as a camping destination, which makes it different from most of Idaho’s state parks. Rather the Park was given as a gift of natural interpretation, education, solitude, reflection, and recreation.
Hearts of Stihl Grant: Through a grant funded by Stihl, Idaho Parks and Recreation (IDPR) is able to partner with the Natural Resources Department at University of Idaho (U of I) to protect and preserve six acres of native Palouse prairie and plant 20,000 trees (all seral species) on 60 acres of forest that was selectively thinned (after a beetle epidemic) to return it to its pre fire suppressed, Ponderosa Pine dominated, natural range of variability. In addition, the Park will be able to address trail routing and maintenance opportunities that will facilitate proper use by motorized and non-motorized users of the area while protecting the restoration area.
Partners: Alongside Stihl and U of I, this project has been a collaboration between the park, the regional fire protection district, the Idaho Department of Lands, Park neighbors, The White pine chapter of the native plant society, the Palouse Prairie Foundation and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.
Education: In conjunction with this project at McCroskey State Park, we will be redoing several roadside educational panels all of which will speak to different aspects of fire adapted forests, wildland fire, proactive forest management, prescribed fire, area geology, fire dependent habitat, forest and Palouse prairie preservation/restoration, and outdoor ethics. On each of these signs, we will incorporate all collaborating organization logos identifying each organizations profound commitment to proactive resource management and stewardship in a real-world way.
University of Idaho Group Scoping Project
Project Description: Assume you are a project manager for the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation. You are tasked with developing a restoration project proposal focused on native Palouse prairie ecosystems near the Point Sublime portion of McCroskey State Park. This project must balance the ecological, access, and educational needs of the area. Working with your team, you are tasked with developing a scoping document for this project
Current Conditions
