Pack it out or bury it, but don’t burn it!

During the morning of Sept. 22, yet another wildfire sprung up on Idaho’s dry and fire-prone wildlands, this time burning a portion of Idaho Fish and Game’s Boise River Wildlife Management Area (WMA) and neighboring lands near Lucky Peak. The wildfire—dubbed the Three Point Fire—was quickly contained and extinguished, but not before torching over 750 acres of important wildlife winter range.

And the crappy part? It could have easily been avoided had a couple of hikers made better decisions about how to dispose of their toilet paper.

Sadly, it’s not the first time recreationists in the Boise Foothills have caused a significant fire by burning used toilet paper. Recall back in 2015, a mountain biker torched a 73-acre section of the foothills after making the same mistake. 

Fish and Game is urging all recreationists, especially those utilizing its wildlife management areas, to be responsible about where they go, both literally and figuratively. The whole concept behind establishing and managing wildlife management areas is to provide important habitat for Idaho’s wildlife. A lot of effort goes in to managing these lands for migrating wildlife, native plants, and quality winter range. 

One ill-timed wildfire in sagebrush landscapes can wipe away many of its qualities as important wildlife habitat for 20-30 years of recovery, says State Wildlife Habitat Program Manager Sal Palazzolo. 

“The Boise River Wildlife Management Area supports one of the state’s largest mule deer herds, and it’s adjacent to Idaho’s most populated area—that’s no random coincidence,” Palazzolo said. 

“Fish and Game and many partners have conserved thousands of acres of habitat for big game and a variety of other wildlife, as well as for recreation. Fires are probably the biggest threat to that land and the animals that rely on it, so a careless mistake can have big impacts for a long time.” 

Hunters, hikers, birders, outdoor enthusiasts alike: It doesn’t matter if the sagebrush foothills got a few drops of rain the night before or if you think a few scraps of burning toilet paper will be shielded by a few randomly placed rocks. Many of the places we recreate in, walk our dogs, ride our bikes are home to a lot more wildlife than we realize. And once that habitat is gone, it often takes a lot of time and tremendous effort to bring it back.

Not All Grasses Are Greener

The variety of vegetation found on many Fish and Game WMAs is crucial wildlife forage, especially during the winter months. Migrating deer and elk may travel dozens of miles from their summer grounds to wintering grounds at lower elevations, where they use a variety of plants for both food and cover until the spring thaw. 

Lose those beneficial plants through single and repeat wildfires, and you’re often left with vile replacements. Ask any dog owner, hiker, or habitat biologist about cheatgrass and medusahead grass and you’ll instantly get looks of disgust. Deer, elk, and other herbivores need high-quality grasses, shrubs, and forbs to sustain their diets, of which cheatgrass is not. 

Here in the West, sagebrush and bitterbrush (seen below) are king in many big game winter range landscapes. But invasive grasses, like cheatgrass and medusahead, can quickly become established after a fire, outgrow beneficial native grasses, and outcompete many higher-quality food sources required by herbivores. 

Folks, with the increases in fire severity and frequency we are seeing in the West, it is crucial to exercise caution when out exploring Idaho’s wildlands. Be overly cautious. When disposing of used toilet paper, pack it out or bury it well. Land managers like campfires just as much as anyone; if they’re imposing a fire restriction, it’s for a reason. 

Do the right thing for Idaho and its wildlife—be cautious with fire.