TWIN FALLS, Idaho — The South Hills, known for its extensive networks of roads and trails, will once again implement a seasonal closure to motorized vehicles to safeguard wildlife during critical periods. The closure, which affects the area through spring, summer, and fall, aims to protect habitats that are vital for wintering wildlife.
“It's a really important area for mule deer who hang out in their winter range and it's also a really great sage grouse habitat,” Heather Teal-Nelson from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) told Idaho News 6.
Teal-Nelson explained that fires and other alterations have historically disturbed these habitats.
“Fires over the years have impacted their range, so we want to reduce disturbance to those here," Tiel-Nelson said. "The more that they are disturbed, the more they move around, they're reducing their fat reserves and of course impacts their survivability through winter, and also reproduction in the springtime,” she said.
The roads included in the closure are Dry Creek, Dry Gulch, Cherry Spring, a portion of Indian Springs (beginning 1.5 miles south of Foothills Road), and North Cottonwood Creek. These areas will remain accessible to non-motorized users engaged in hiking, biking, or horseback riding.
This summer, the BLM also instituted an emergency closure for recreational shooting near Indian Springs Trailhead due to safety concerns. Tiel-Nelson expressed gratitude for public compliance with the shooting closure but reiterated the need for continued adherence.
“We really appreciate the folks who have complied with that temporary closure of recreational shooting. It has become such a safety concern for us," Tiel-Nelson said. "We have had some incidences of people still shooting in the area so we really ask that they comply with that closure that's been put into place.”
