RAY GREENE CHECKER BOARD (SOUTH OF PRIEST LAKE)

Photo: NASA

It's known as the Ray Greene Checker Board. Ray was my Dad, and worked in the Priest Lake District for The State of Idaho Department of Lands (from 1970 to 1995) 1st as a Fire Warden then later as the Area Supervisor. The challenge was to come up with an effective way to harvest large amounts of pine poles but not clear cut the whole prairie (I believe this was sometime in the late 70's to Mid 80's). So he and his group came up with the idea of clearing in a grid pattern. Leaving some trees so animals would have cover, a clearing a burning so grass and brush would grow and the animals would have food. This got him in trouble with the Governor when they flew over riding in the same helicopter. Once the Governor got the rest of the tour and rational via ground tour the Governor apologized to him and then commended him and his team for creative solution. Upon Ray's retirement from the Department his peers they present him with a custom aeriel photo wall plaque of the area directly souh of priest lake on jack pine flats entitled "The Ray Greene Checker Board". Ray retired from the Department in 1996 and passed away in 2015, a couple of weeks shy of his 80th Birthday. I think about my Dad every day. He was a great Man and perhaps the best Dad ever! There ya Go!

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