Tagged: Boise Foothills

Niall Garrahan loves Boise’s foothills. So much so, he decided to spend a portion of his summer last year studying them.

Garrahan is a junior at The College of William and Mary in Virginia. In 2011, he received a grant to conduct research on a topic of his choice. But it wasn’t until he went on a hike while visiting his aunt in Boise that he decided what he would evaluate. He wanted to figure out how much the foothills were worth, and how their value might affect future conservation efforts.

Sheep grazing along trails is a rite of spring in the Boise foothills, so are the White Great Pyrenees dogs that protect them. 

Idaho Rangeland Resource Commission spokesman Steve Stuebner says it's important to keep pets leashed up to avoid a confrontation with the guard dogs.   "And then if you’re on a mountain bike and you come up to the sheep, it’s a good idea to dismount from your bike and get off your bike and walk through the sheep."