MOOSE CREEK, ID FENCE, OUTHOUSE PROJECT COMPLETED FOR USFS

In cooperation with the US Forest Service, the RAF organized volunteers beginning in late 2023 to remove and replace 3,000 feet of deteriorating jackleg fence around the historic Moose Creek Ranger Station. Again this October, volunteers from the RAF, Idaho Aviation Association, (IAA) and the Selway Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation cooperated with the Forest Service to complete the fencing project. Because Moose Creek lies in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness Area, only primitive tools are allowed, so the fence materials had been pre-drilled prior to being airlifted in.

To minimize hauling traffic, the Forest Service used their Sherpa to deliver the long fence poles; and the RAF enlisted skilled backcountry pilots Robert Miller and Rob Wells who volunteered their time to haul materials in with the Kodiak 100 provided to the RAF for backcountry use by Daher. The tall piles of posts and poles soon disappeared one-by-one over the shoulders of volunteers along the little flags marking the long fence perimeters. Small groups of volunteers connected the posts and poles with a few hammer strokes, and the fence lines eventually met up to complete the needed corrals and grazing area.

The recent fire had destroyed both camp area outhouses, so Dave Irvin, IAA’s North-central Idaho District Director, and Craig Thomas of the Stevensville (Montana) Airport Foundation designed and pre-fabricated two new structures. All power tool work was done at Stevensville, and the components were designed to fit in the Kodiak. Miller hauled them in, and volunteers assembled them with traditional tools. “This fall, campers, hunters and anglers now have two functioning outhouses and the Forest Service doesn’t have to worry about environmental impact issues of the campground,” RAF President and project organizer Bill McGlynn said.

The fire and winds had caused extensive damage to the area around the ranger station, and volunteers helped clear fallen trees and debris. Volunteer cooks Fred Hebert and Alex Cravener from Boise prepared sunrise coffee and all meals.

“The big story is the collaboration amongst the IAA, the Stevensville pilots, their Airport Foundation, the Selway Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation, and the RAF. The commitment of the volunteers was in the truest sense of selflessly giving back hard work to a place that has given great joy to so many. Everyone there had a great sense of satisfaction that they had done a good thing, with minimum impact,” McGlynn added.

Submitted on October 23, 2024