ST. MARIES — The St. Joe Ranger District of the Idaho Panhandle National Forests is seeking public comment on the proposed Lacy Lemoosh project, according to a press release put out by the agency. The project is currently in the development phase. 

Lacy Lemoosh is located south of Emida in Benewah County. The project will focus primarily on improving forest resilience against threats such as insects, disease, wildfire and drought. This process will involve timber harvest, road construction, prescribed burning and tree planting.  

According to the project’s environmental assessment, the biggest health issues the region’s forest faces are root diseases in Douglas-fir and grand fir trees, and die-off of western larch trees due to infection.  

Feedback from the public is being accepted through Sept. 27 and can be submitted through the Forest Service’s website. The public also had an opportunity to comment on the project between April and May 2023, according to the project website. 

Public comments can also be mailed to: Lacy Lemoosh Project, St. Joe Ranger District, 222 S. Seventh St., Suite 1, St. Maries, ID 83861. 

“Public comments are important in helping us determine a more informed course of action, one that balances the public interests and multiple use objectives of the agency,” said District Ranger Benjamin Johnson in a letter addressed to “friends and neighbors.”