Murray Creek Project

The Boise National Forest is advancing the Murray Creek Project on the Emmett Ranger District to improve forest resilience, reduce wildfire risk, and strengthen landscape-scale restoration efforts near Smiths Ferry, Idaho.

Located approximately four miles southeast of Smiths Ferry, the 1,786-acre project area sits between the Smiths Ferry Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) and previously completed restoration work under the Scriver Creek Integrated Restoration Project. Forest managers identified the area as a critical untreated gap where fuels have continued to accumulate due to insect and disease disturbances, limiting the effectiveness of surrounding restoration efforts across federal, state, and private lands.

The project proposes a combination of commercial and non-commercial forest treatments across approximately 1,100 acres, including thinning, pruning, fuels reduction, prescribed fire, and selective removal of diseased or overcrowded trees. Treatments are designed to improve forest health while emphasizing the retention of large, old-growth, and fire-tolerant species such as ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir.

In addition to vegetation management, the project includes temporary road improvements and access routes needed to safely complete treatments and support long-term forest management objectives.

The Murray Creek Project supports the goals of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act by addressing hazardous fuels and improving the forest’s ability to withstand wildfire, insects, and disease. The project also highlights the importance of collaborative restoration planning through ongoing coordination with the Boise Forest Coalition and interdisciplinary resource specialists.

Extensive environmental review and field surveys are underway to ensure protection of cultural, wildlife, fisheries, hydrology, and botanical resources. A final decision is anticipated in 2026, with implementation expected to begin in 2027.

By connecting previous treatments and reducing fuels across ownership boundaries, the Murray Creek Project will help improve wildfire resilience, protect nearby communities, and support healthier forests and watersheds across the region.