On June 10, 2022, Idaho RMEF volunteers gathered for their annual Idaho Rendezvous. This year’s event included a one-day work project on RMEF’s inholding at Gasper Creek near Riggins, Idaho. The 97-acre Gasper Creek Property, formerly known as the Last Homestead Ranch, was donated to RMEF in 2019 by Gordon Cole. The property is an inholding surrounded by the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest (NPCNF). The area and property serves as crucial winter range for elk and other ungulates.
Volunteers drove approximately 25 miles from Riggins, Idaho along the Salmon River and up winding mountain roads to arrive on the property. The property had remnants of a cabin and water cistern that were recently burned by a wildfire. The volunteers worked diligently together to dismantle the water cistern and gather the debris on the property. They then used UTV’s to transport all the material up the hill to load onto trucks where it could then be transported down the road to the transfer station in Riggins. Clearing the structures and debris will help RMEF with the conveyance of the property to the United States Forest Service for inclusion into the public lands system.
“It was a rewarding experience with incredible views and wonderful people,” said Pocatello Chapter volunteer Rachael Johnston.