Student Conservation Association members and staff are stationed at the Indianola Ranger Station on the Salmon River Road this summer, Salmon-Challis Forest Public Affairs Officer Amy Baumer said.
SCA members have been based at the Moyer Basin helitack base for the past 10 years.
The crew arrived in May and will work to improve facilities at the historic compound throughout the summer and fall. The ranger station hasn’t been used for several years, Baumer said.
“Indianola is a facility that is special to locals and has an extensive history in the area,” Tim Carrol, SCA program manager, said. All the work will preserve the historic nature of the site, yet modernize some infrastructure and clean up the buildings and grounds, he said.
The Student Conservation Association received grant money from the Idaho Heritage Trust and Ranger Doug Enterprises to paint buildings and make other improvements. Plans call for using the buildings and site for SCA lodging, training and storage as was the case in the past.
The Student Conservation Association Idaho Corps Program is a leadership development program for young adults which provides them with skills, training, and experience in public land management to help prepare them for careers in public land management.