BLM Idaho Falls District
1405 Hollipark Drive Idaho Falls, Idaho
83402
Sawtooth National Forest
2647 Kimberly Road East Twin Falls, Idaho
83301
Salmon-Challis National Forest
1206 South Challis Street Salmon, Idaho
83467
CHALLIS, ID- On August 7, 2015, President Barack Obama signed into law Congressman Mike Simpson’s legislation creating three new Wilderness areas totaling 275,665 acres in the heart of Central Idaho. The bill created the Hemingway-Boulders Wilderness, 67,998 acres; White Clouds Wilderness, 90,769 acres, and the Jim McClure-Jerry Peak Wilderness, 116,898 acres. “Without the extensive coordination and work from the Idaho Congressional Delegation, Mike Simpson, Mike Crapo, and Jim Risch, this area would not have been secured for the citizens of Idaho and the nation," said Chuck Mark, Forest Supervisor for the Salmon-Challis National Forest.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), in partnership with the Salmon-Challis National Forest and Sawtooth National Forest created an interim brochure for the public delineating currently approved routes, trails and trailhead access points. “This interim brochure provides some good guidelines and direction for public use until we are finished with the final wilderness plan," said Mary D’Aversa, BLM Idaho Falls District Manager. "These maps depict all the wilderness access sites and will be a useful tool for those heading out to explore central Idaho."
The legislation represented a consensus among a remarkable coalition of divergent interests, from backcountry hunters and motorized recreationists to county governments and grazing permittees. Representative Mike Simpson (Idaho) spent 15 years trying to protect the iconic Boulder-White Clouds by working with various groups and county commissioners to achieve buy-in for the idea. For more information, please contact one of the offices listed above or visit http://bit.ly/28JujJY.
Hard copies of the brochure are available at the following locations:
BLM Challis Field Office
1106 Blue Mountain Road Challis, ID 83226 p: 208-879- 6200
Challis-Yankee Fork/Middle Fork Ranger Districts
311 N. US Highway 93 Challis, ID 83226 p: 208-879- 4101
Sawtooth National Forest
2647 Kimberly Road East Twin Falls, ID 83301 p: 208-737- 3262
Salmon-Challis National Forest
1206 South Challis Street Salmon, ID 83467 p: 208-756- 5111
Eastern Idaho Visitor Center
425 N Capital Ave Idaho Falls, ID 83402
208-523- 1010
BLM and Forest Service Office
1405 Hollipark Drive Idaho Falls, ID 83401
208-524- 7500
BLM and Forest Service Visitor Information Center
1387 S Vinnell Way Boise, ID 83709
208-373- 4000
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management
