Sun Valley Company, National Forest Foundation, U.S. Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management Partner For Bald Mountain Stewardship Project

July 13, 2022

In a vastly unique collaborative cross-agency effort, an innovative multi-year environmental and recreational project kicks off at Sun Valley Resort

Sun Valley, ID /OUTDOOR SPORTSWIRE/ – After three years of strategic curation, this summer commences an innovative and collaborative environmental and mountain recreation project, a 5 to 7-year partnership between Sun Valley Company (SVC), National Forest Foundation (NFF), US Forest Service (USFS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM); to improve forest health, reduce fuels and associated fire risk, and preserve recreational experience on and around Bald Mountain, home to the Sun Valley Ski Resort. The Bald Mountain Stewardship Project (BMSP) is an expansion of previous forest health efforts conducted on Bald Mountain and this ambitious landscape-scale project is projected to cover over 6,000 acres of land split between the USFS and the BLM, with over 3,000 of those acres on Bald Mountain. The ultimate goal of the project- protect the area’s forests, local economy, and its viewshed.

The symbiotic relationship between the SVC and NFF, as well as BLM and USFS, allows for such a grand cross-boundary project that benefits both the natural environment and local community alike. SVC is committed to preserving the land on and around Bald Mountain to protect its recreational use and recognizes the importance of managing this land, along with its partners, to impact the sustained health of Baldy and the overall community. The NFF is responsible for helping drive funding and management of ongoing projects in partnership with the USFS and BLM, agencies that own the land and allow for special project permitting.

Three main components of the BMSP are;

Improving Forest Health; Projects include removing noxious weeds, stapling MHC Packets throughout Baldy’s forest to deter insect infestations, and coming together to address and manage the ongoing threats to Baldy’s forest health.

Fuel Reduction; Bald Mountain has an uncharacteristic fire risk from diseased and dead trees, removing the standing dead reduces associated fire risk and improves the overall resilience of the remaining healthy forest.

Increased Recreational Use; Fuel reduction projects not only increase recreational users’ safety, but also open up new terrain for glade skiing in the Frenchman and Warm Springs areas of Baldy.

Trail Closure Information: For the safety of Sun Valley Resort guests and employees, a small selection of trails on Bald Mountain in the work areas are closed while tree work is conducted this summer. Summer Traverse, which connects River Run trail to Warm Spring trail, and French Connection will be closed to both hiking and biking. Bald Mountain Trail will be closed to bikes, however, hikers will still be able to access the area.

Southern Idaho Wood for Life

The National Forest Foundation’s Wood For Life program uses wood from forest restoration efforts to fuel Indigenous communities that rely on firewood to heat their homes. Wood for Life salvages small diameter timber removed in fire prevention efforts from the national forests and donates it to the Indigenous communities to assist in heating homes. This year, the Bald Mountain Stewardship Project will be supplying 240 cords of firewood to the Shoshone-Paiute Tribe to heat the homes of many community elders living in Duck Valley where 90% of homes rely on a wood-burning stove as their primary home heating source. The 2022 efforts will also supply that same amount of firewood to the Shoshone Bannock Tribe at Fort Hall. Excess wood not going to the Wood for Life Program will be sold at a minimal price to support local markets and needs and proceeds from firewood sales will be reinvested into the Bald Mountain Stewardship Project in 2023.

The National Forest Foundation has a dedicated Bald Mountain Stewardship Fund to support ongoing work. For more information or to contribute to the fund, please contact Dani Southard, dsouthard@nationalforests.org or 208.720.0957

Key dates include:

• July 1 – Ongoing – Bigwood Bread in Ketchum set up as a point of sales donation opportunity for community members wishing to contribute to the Bald Mountain Stewardship Project. Contributions will go to the Bald Mountain Stewardship Fund held by the National Forest Foundation
• July 11 – Set-up for work begins on Bald Mountain and trail closures may begin
• Mid July – Ongoing work will be visible from Ketchum throughout the summer
• August 17 – River Run Summer Series partnership day with proceeds benefiting National Forest Foundation and Bald Mountain Stewardship Project
• October 5 – Planting day- Community members invited to plant seedlings on Bald Mountain to help with reforestation efforts.

PHOTOS | Bald Mountain Stewardship Project | Sun Valley Resort

BLOG | Bald Mountain Stewardship Project | Sun Valley Resort

Please fill out this form and credit Sun Valley Resort for any image used.

Media Contacts:
SVR: Jess Fiaschetti | Jess@OutsidePR.com and Jenna Vagias | JVagias@SunValley.com

NFF: Erin Wyer | Erin@OutsidePR.com and Dani Southard | dsouthard@nationalforests.org

# # #

About Sun Valley Resort

Sun Valley Resort was founded in 1936 as America’s first destination ski resort. Located in the Idaho mountains, it is truly a four-season resort with a wide array of activities. Outdoor adventure enthusiasts enjoy world-class skiing, snowboarding, skating, hiking, biking, golfing, fishing, shooting, concerts, shopping, restaurants, and conferences, and special event space. Sun Valley is a member of The Grand America Hotels and Resorts family. Sister properties include Snowbasin Ski Resort, The Grand America Hotel, Little America Hotel (all Salt Lake City, Utah); The Westgate Hotel, San Diego, Calif.; Little America Flagstaff, Ariz.; Little America, Wyo., and Little America, Cheyenne, Wyo.

Sun Valley is served by Hailey’s Friedman Memorial Airport (SUN). The airport is located 14 miles from the resort and is easily accessed from six major cities: San Francisco (SFO), Seattle (SEA), Los Angeles (LAX), Salt Lake City (SLC), Denver (DEN), and Chicago (ORD). All Sun Valley Resort guests receive complimentary roundtrip airport transportation.

www.sunvalley.com | 800.786.8259 | @sunvalley | #sunvalley

About National Forest Foundation

The National Forest Foundation works on behalf of the American public to inspire personal and meaningful connections to our National Forests. By directly engaging Americans and leveraging private and public funding, the NFF leads forest conservation efforts and promotes responsible recreation. Each year the NFF restores fish and wildlife habitat, facilitates common ground, plants trees in areas affected by fires, insects and disease, and improves recreational opportunities. The NFF believes our National Forests and all they offer are an American treasure and are vital to the health of our communities. Learn more at nationalforests.org.