CAMAS PRAIRIE Camas Prairie is interpreted at a highway pullout on the north side of U.S. Highway 95, about 6 miles south of Grangeville, Idaho. This large prairie was a Nez Perce gathering place where camas roots were harvested for thousands of years. Several nontreaty bands gathered at Tolo Lake in early June 1877 in anticipation of moving to the Nez Perce reservation. In response to the forced move and other hostile actions, several young Nez Perce people took actions that precipitated the 1877 Nez Perce War.

MANAGEMENT ISSUES The pullout is used as a truck stop; there is traffic noise from U.S. 95; other distractions include houses in the foreground and a dumpster for residential use. The sign does not give visitors a sense of the size of Camas Prairie, nor does it give information about the presence of camas or biological information. Visitors are confused by the presence of a stock pond visible directly ahead of the sign, thinking it is Tolo Lake.

ACTION PLAN Ownership of the viewshed will be determined, interpretation will be revised, and agreements will be developed as needed. The pullout will be redesigned so that large vehicles will not block the view. A strong preservation message concerning camas will be incorporated into the site interpretation.