HABITAT -- Significant rainfall in the past 10 days followed by sunshine and above-normal temperatures appears to be the prescription for recovering the forage and habitat lost to the summer wildfire that ravaged the Snake River canyon between Pomeroy and Pullman.

The gree-up on the slopes in the past two weeks is impressive.

The Snake River Fire was started by careless campers on Aug. 2 in Garfield county across from Granite Point and quickly spread, jumped the Snake River and charred 11,452 acres in Garfield and Whitman counties before fire crews contained the flames on Aug. 8.

The fire consumed grass and crops and vital trees and brush that provided cover, food and security for wildlife ranging from quail to mule deer.

Officially, one outbuilding was lost, as well as 25 head of cattle

However, the toll on wildlife is uncharted. The fire simply leaves little shelter for critters.

But the fall green-up will go a long way toward feeding the surviving chukars and deer and kicking the recovery into gear.