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Star Garnet hunting area opening for the season
in June |
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May 7, 2018 |
 The Idaho Panhandle National Forests will be
delaying the opening of the Emerald Creek Garnet
Area until Friday, June 29, 2018 in order to
excavate and stockpile the garnet-bearing gravel
for visitors to sift through. This popular site
traditionally opens Memorial Day Weekend.
The excavation of the gravel is typically
completed in the fall, so as to not impact the
visitor experience during the summer months.
Unfortunately, conditions this past fall were
not conducive to completing the excavation work
in a way that minimized disturbances to water
and soil quality. The work was postponed to this
spring, allowing for drier conditions to conduct
the work with minimal disturbances to natural
resources.
Located near Clarkia, Idaho, the Emerald Creek
Garnet Area is a popular rock-hounding
destination, attracting local and international
visitors and families. This is one of only two
locations in the world where the Star Garnet,
Idaho State Gem, can be found readily! The
Forest Service provides tools for sifting and
sluicing to aid in finding the gems. Fees are
charged to help maintain the facilities. For
additional information, please visit
https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/ipnf/recreation/?cid=stelprdb5076397.
To see a previous story NewsBF posted in March,
giving more detail and background on the Emerald
Creek Star Garnet area, click here:
http://newsbf.com/news/201803/07garnets.html |
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