Establish temporary bridge rental program to support active forest management and timber harvesting where crossing streams, wet areas, buried energy pipelines, and other buried infrastructure is…

The Coeur D'Alene Tribe received a $500,000 Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Temporary Bridge Program (CFDA 10.721), awarded August 18, 2025, with a completion date of September 30, 2028. The grant supports the establishment of a temporary bridge rental program in Idaho designed to facilitate active forest management and timber harvesting operations. The program will provide portable skidder bridges, bridge mats, and other temporary water crossing structures available through fee-based rental, no-cost rental, or rent-to-own arrangements to loggers and contractors.

This initiative addresses critical operational barriers for timber producers by enabling safe crossings over streams, wetlands, buried energy pipelines, and other infrastructure without causing permanent stream bed disturbance. By reducing equipment downtime and environmental impact while protecting water supplies and energy infrastructure, the program supports rural economic development and increased productivity in timber production across the region. The funding enables the tribe to establish rental infrastructure that maintains compliance with environmental protection standards while expanding access to forest lands for sustainable management practices.

Establish temporary bridge rental program to support active forest management and timber harvesting where crossing streams, wet areas, buried energy pipelines, and other buried infrastructure is required. These projects support loggers, rural economies, active forest management, safety, and the production of american timber by opening up more forest lands to active forest management and by increasing productivity and reducing down-time for timber producers while protecting american water supplies and energy infrastructure.