Great American Outdoors Act in the Northern Region

In north-central Idaho, west of the Lolo Pass Visitor Center, near Lowell, Idaho on the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests, lies the Historic Lochsa Ranger Station. From 1925 to the late 1950s, the station was utilized as a backcountry Ranger Station by the Forest Service. It served as the administrative hub for a system of fire lookouts, smoke chaser cabins, and other remote Forest Service facilities linked together by a system of pack trails and telephone lines. In 1976, the station was formally dedicated as an interpretive site, as part of the nation's Bicentennial Celebration. The station is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

During the summer of 2022, many structures on the compound received much-needed restoration work made possible with funding from the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA). The work was completed by Forest Service employees, including the Region One Historic Preservation Team, and Framing our Community (FOC) partners based out of Elk City, ID. The FOC provided skilled preservation workers to assist the Forest Service with the repairs. The crews were able to replace two upper roof purlins, two sill logs, a spandrel log, four porch columns, and the porch deck. The floor and building piers were also reinforced, fresh mortar was laid under two logs, and the shake roof was replaced. Additional preservation work will continue into 2023.

This work will ensure the buildings endure for decades to come, and that travelers will be able to continue visiting this timeless place.

To find out more about the Lochsa Historical Ranger Station, including hours of operation visit our website. The Visitor Center is typically open between Memorial Day and Labor Day, seven days a week 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Forest Service Invests in Route of the Hiawatha Trail

The Idaho Panhandle National Forests completed nearly three miles of resurfacing improvements at the popular Route of the Hiawatha Trail this year, paid for with funding provided by the Great American Outdoors Act.

The Route of the Hiawatha Rail Trail Resurfacing Project is one of 11 projects on the Idaho Panhandle National Forests funded by the landmark 2020 federal legislation. The project included resurfacing the 1.66-mile-long St. Paul (Taft) Tunnel, as well as improving the bottom 4.65 miles of the trail. Crews also cleared brush from the trail corridor, shaped the running surface with a grader to establish a smooth, well-drained trail prism, then added a 4-inch aggregate base to the surface. The improvements will make for a safer and more enjoyable experience for the thousands of cyclists who traverse the Hiawatha every summer.

"This project will provide long-term improvements to what we consider a crown jewel of the National Forest System," said Forest Recreation Program Manager Josh Jurgensen. "It significantly decreases deferred maintenance, creates jobs, addresses critical health and safety issues, and builds on a legacy of exceptional customer service."

The Route of the Hiawatha Trail is a unique, highly scenic 15-mile trail that follows the railroad grade of the Milwaukee Railroad from near St. Regis, Mont., to Wallace, Idaho. Operated by Lookout Pass Ski and Recreation Area under a Forest Service permit, the route provides bicycle riders with experiences through 10 tunnels and over seven trestles, providing breath-taking views across the majestic Bitterroot Mountains near the Idaho-Montana border.

The Route of the Hiawatha was named a "Hall of Fame" trail by the Rail-to-Trail Conservancy — one of only 15 such designations in the country. Its visitation is now close to 70,000 per year and contributes significantly to tourism in the Shoshone, Benewah and Latah counties in Idaho, and Mineral County in Montana.

For more information on Great American Outdoors Act projects in the USDA Forest Service Northern Region, visit the regional GAOA website.

To find out more about the Route of the Hiawatha, visit Route of the Hiawatha.

The Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex Trails Project is a multi-year, $5.4 million project focused on reducing deferred maintenance on 3,247 miles of trails within the Wilderness Complex and the Adjacent Lands Priority Area. This is one of only 15 Priority Areas nationwide (established under the National Forest System Trail Stewardship Act of 2016) that were identified as a priority for increased trail maintenance. The project is a combined effort between the Helena-Lewis and Clark, the Lolo, and the Flathead National Forest.

The Forests have partnered with the Montana Conservation Corps (MCC), the Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation (BMWF), Flathead Area Mountain Bikers (FAMB), and Backcountry Horsemen of the Flathead (BCHF) to implement maintenance on hundreds of miles of trail as part of the project.

Over the 2021 season, the three forests were able to complete over 1,000 feet of turnpike repairs, 500 feet of puncheon replacements, 6 miles of retread, 220 feet of retaining wall restoration, 6,400 feet of ditch/drainage structure repairs, 5,000 feet of braided trail repairs, 31 miles of brushing, 535 feet of puncheon running board repairs, 40 feet of puncheon approaches/stair repairs, 98 miles of re- establishing cleared corridor, 6,000 feet of trail rerouting projects, and 50 feet of multi-tier crib wall repairs. GAOA funding was also used to invest in project area stock programs and primitive trail maintenance activities across the complex.

All of this work occurred in addition to the Forests' regularly scheduled maintenance projects. The additional funding provided by GAOA has allowed the Forests to address vital deferred maintenance tasks which otherwise would not have been completed.

The upcoming 2022 field season is also quickly taking shape. The Lolo intends to have 4 MCC hitches in the Scapegoat Wilderness. The Flathead expects to continue to improve clearing width across the trail system and focused work on the Bull Creek, Morrison Creek, and Big River Trails. The Helena Lewis and Clark is planning puncheon reconstruction on a couple of trails, as well as reroutes, turnpike work, and trail brushing.

Over the next four years, additional trails work is planned which will significantly improve the experience of forest visitors and provide enjoyment for many years to come.