State plans fuel-reduction projects

A new state grant program that will drive fuel reduction work on more than 4,000 acres of Montana forestlands includes funding for five projects in the Flathead Valley.

The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation on Friday announced projects that will get $1.9 million through the Montana Jump Start and Forest Stewardship Fuels Reduction program.

"We have the work and we have the work force," State Forester Bob Harrington said. "All we needed was the money to bring the two together and get it done."

A total of 10 projects have been approved in Missoula, Lewis and Clark, Powell and Flathead counties.

"There are actually five projects in the Flathead area," said Roger Ziesak, who is coordinating the program for the state agency. "But they are smaller projects."

Ziesak said they are all located in "urban interface" areas where homes are surrounded by forests. The projects mainly involve understory thinning, but they are expected to produce some commercial timber.

Most of the projects involve partnerships between the state and several private landowners.

A project near Echo Lake involves 73 acres of state school trust land that is surrounded by smaller, developed properties.

A project on the west shore of Flathead Lake in the Rollins area involves five different landowners and 100 acres, including 65 acres of state land.

Work on about 150 acres, all owned by one property owner, will be carried out in a neighborhood east of Bigfork.

Several private landowners are involved in a Smith Lake area project on 190 acres, including 35 acres of state trust lands.

And a project on the Stillwater State Forest north of Whitefish will involve 400 acres in the Beaver Lakes area.

"The actual work has to be completed by Sept. 30 of this year," Ziesak said. "We wanted to get folks out working now, not next year."

The program is funded by a grant from the U.S. Forest Service, and the projects require matching contributions from grant recipients. Matches can in some cases include commercial timber proceeds.

"I'm an advocate of using commercial timber to offset the costs of fuel mitigation, stewardship or forest health projects, but the math doesn't always work," said Harrington, noting that sagging lumber prices have made it increasingly difficult to cover forest management costs.

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com