{"id":50179,"date":"2025-06-12T22:47:44","date_gmt":"2025-06-13T04:47:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.boisestate.edu\/ibo\/?p=50179"},"modified":"2026-08-20T15:45:54","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T21:45:54","slug":"valley-fire-impacts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.boisestate.edu\/ibo\/2025\/06\/12\/valley-fire-impacts\/","title":{"rendered":"Valley Fire Updates"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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A Red-tailed Hawk soars in front of the ominous smoke billowing from the Valley Fire. Photo by Erika Hush<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Originally posted on October 4th, 2024. Valley Fire updates will be posted here periodically, with newest updates at the top of the page. Thank you for your support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fall 2025 Update<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We’re excited to share that our Lucky Peak station is re-opened for Fall 2025!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We were able to rebuild our raptor trapping blind thanks to your support. Read more and see pictures of the new blind here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because we lost so many camp sites due to the fire, we aren’t able to host overnight camping visitors. However, our projects are open to non-camping visitors each day (weather allowing). Information on when to visit Lucky Peak here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spring 2025 Update<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Approaching our Lucky Peak station after the burn. June 2025. Photo Credit: Heidi Ware Carlisle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We had the chance to return to Lucky Peak for our first bird monitoring visit since the Valley Fire burned our station in October 2024, and we wanted to share an update with all of you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While there are some very stark views, we left feeling hopeful for the future of our station and the birds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The view North from near songbird net 9, June 2025 after the burn. Photo Credit: Heidi Ware Carlisle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

One of our biggest worries was that the shrub-steppe habitat would be overtaken by invasive plants. At Lucky Peak itself, it seems that the native forbs are staving off the cheatgrass and skeletonweed. And we spotted many young seedlings recently planted thanks to Idaho Department of Fish and Game volunteer efforts. We were very glad to see this recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Highland Valley Road, leading up to the station, has a bigger battle to face with these hard-to-control weeds. As our climate warms and dries, this will be an expanding problem we all face. Idaho Fish and Game could use your donations and volunteer time to help with these efforts. (sign up here to stay up to date on IDFG volunteer opportunities<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The view southwest in camp. The yurt pad is in the lower left. The radio tower is just out of frame to the right.
Photo Credit: Heidi Ware Carlisle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The most visually impacted area in camp is the hillside where all our crew tents were destroyed. The tall Douglas-fir trees were completely burned, and this spring a forester worked to remove these hazard trees to make it safe for people to return to our station. It will be a lifetime before that hillside returns to something like what we once knew, but we were very glad to see countless ninebark shrub starts popping out from the ash everywhere we looked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Mountain Ninebark shrub regrowth is impressive so far! June 2025. Photo Credit: Heidi Ware Carlisle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In this area, the biggest pang we felt was for our 2024 crew and everything they lost that day. This will be a focus for habitat restoration work, and we believe it will become lush habitat for shrub-loving species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A view from the camping pad west up toward hawk watch. June 2025. This is the hillside that once hosted our crew tents. Photo Credit: Heidi Ware Carlisle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The most intensely burned cherry patches (between our songbird nets 1 and 3, if you know our station) were quite stark\u2014but even there, the shrub regrowth was astounding. In a few years, we predict we\u2019ll have a LOT of very happy Lazuli Buntings and MacGillivray’s Warblers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The crew sets up net 3, which used to be surrounded by douglas fir trees, our lower wall tent, and many cherry shrubs. Now the yurt area is visible from this net after the fire. June 2025. Photo Credit: Heidi Ware Carlisle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The patch of trees by the lower wall tent (the first visitor tent you pass as you enter camp) was completely burned in the fire and has since been removed by the forester. This is a big loss for our site, and we all felt a pang of sadness standing there, trying to find where our net lane 3 had been\u2014struggling to recognize the spot we’ve stood so many times before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The former location of our lower wall tent. A few remaining Douglas Fir stumps provide landmarks showing where the tent pad used to be. June 2025. Photo Credit: Heidi Ware Carlisle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Despite the burn, we were able to run nets at all our historic songbird net lanes. We banded 57 individuals (about on par with past years) and had some recaptures from previous years. We wonder what they think of all this change?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In all this change, we’re reminded that fire has always been a part of this landscape\u2014and seeing the rebound in these habitats gives us hope. We’re balancing these feelings with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. the heart side\u2014we will miss the views we all knew, the impact this will have on our crew and visitors using the site, and the shade of those old Douglas-fir trees, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. the impact side\u2014we know that these habitats are not recovering in a vacuum. Human impacts on these landscapes, through the introduction of invasive plants and through worsening climate change, will require human intervention if we want to see these habitats return in as close to a “natural” way as possible.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Fire has always been in these habitats. Unchecked human influence has not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Some views of camp still look relatively normal. The largest trees in camp seemingly survived the worst impacts of the fire. June 2025. Photo Credit: Heidi Ware Carlisle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    We have a few more breeding season monitoring dates coming up before we start daily migration monitoring<\/a> in mid-July. We’ll continue to share updates as the summer goes on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For now, it doesn\u2019t look like we\u2019ll be able to host overnight visitors this fall season (we\u2019ll need every shaded, flat tent spot for our crew to replace the ones that were destroyed), but we hope to see you all this fall for day visits to our projects. Stay tuned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Sunset after the burn. The view north from hawk watch. June 2025. Photo Credit: Heidi Ware Carlisle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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    Update from November 2024<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Restoration work has begun and we need your help!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In November, over 70 volunteers, including many IBO friends, joined the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) to plant seedlings in the Valley Fire burn area. It gave us so much hope to see new growth emerging on the scorched hillside where our hawk blind once stood. We\u2019re partnering with IDFG to recruit volunteers for ongoing habitat restoration. Sign up here if you\u2019d like to join them!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Kelley
    Kelley Davis sits overlooking a habitat restoration area near IBO’s raptor banding station. Photo Credit: Lucian Davis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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    Valley Fire Updates from Tuesday October 22nd<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Our story has been featured by local media outlets, including visuals and footage from camp. Visit these web pages to hear more:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    KIVI Channel Six story<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Boise State Public Radio clip<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Visit to Lucky Peak Camp:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Update as of 11:09pm on Saturday October 12th<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Some of our staff were finally able to access our Lucky Peak camp on Friday, October 11th. We\u2019re so thankful for the hard work of the firefighters and land managers who made it possible for us to return to our research station! We\u2019re full of every mix of emotions after returning from our visit to the site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t

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