Lost Beetle forest project OK'd

Tally Lake District Ranger Lisa Timchak has approved the Lost Beetle Healthy Forest Restoration Project.

The Lost Beetle Project was developed through a collaborative process and is 10 miles west of Kalispell.

The project will modify forest stand conditions to increase resilience to insect infestation and reduce future tree mortality from root disease. This project will also increase wildland fire resiliency and reduce hazardous fuels on approximately 431 acres.

The Lost Beetle Project is expected to be implemented this summer.

The southern boundary of the project area is just north of Ashley Lake. Much of the project area is surrounded by private and state lands.

The Lost Beetle Project area is within lands designated by Gov. Steve Bullock under the 2014 Farm Bill amendment to the Healthy Forest Restoration Act of 2003. This allows this area to be designated as part of an insect and disease treatment program.

Additionally, funding from Bullock’s Forest in Focus Initiative helped accelerate the pace and outcome of the Lost Beetle Project.

According to Timchak, “The Montana State Department of Natural Resources and Conservation partnered with the Flathead National Forest to increase the efficiency of project planning and implementation on federal lands in Montana, which has contributed to the success of this project.”

The decision memo is available online at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/projects/flathead/landmanagement/projects. These documents are also available for review at the Tally Lake Ranger Station, 650 Wolfpack Way in Kalispell.