Forest proposes salvage logging

The Flathead National Forest on Wednesday released its environmental assessment Wednesday for a proposed salvage logging project in a portion of the Spotted Bear Ranger District burned by last year’s 22,195-acre Trail Creek Fire.

The project area is two miles east of the Spotted Bear Ranger Station.

The forest has opened a one-month public comment period on the proposals, which consist of one no-action alternative and two action alternatives.

A final decision is expected in August, according to a press release from forest spokeswoman Janette Turk.

The forest’s proposed action, Alternative 2, would:

• Harvest 1,351 acres of burned and dead trees, about 6 percent of the total burn area.

• Construct 7.9 miles of new roads to be placed into storage at the project’s end.

• Construct 5.3 miles of temporary roads.

Alternative 2 also would require a project-specific amendment to the Flathead Forest Plan, changing the definitions of “restricted roads” and “reclaimed roads” as they appear in earlier amendments to allow 30 consecutive days of motorized access per year in designated grizzly bear core habitat in 2017 and 2018.

Those windows for motorized access would be outside the grizzly denning season from July 1 through Nov. 30 to allow temporary road construction, best management practices and road rehabilitation.

As a response to public concerns with the scope of activities and the forest plan amendment, the forest also developed Alternative 3, which would not amend the forest plan and would:

• Harvest 834 acres of burned and dead trees.

• Construct 3.3 miles of new roads to be placed into storage at the project’s end.

• Construct 1.6 miles of temporary roads.

Both action alternatives would temporarily close 32.8 miles of existing roads to public motorized use while hauling operations are underway.

They would also both require the removal of one culvert, best management practices on 4.5 miles of road and planting up to 3,000 acres of conifer trees and 500 acres of shrubs in the burn area.

To view the environmental assessment or find more information on the project, visit www.fs.usda.gov/goto/flathead/projects or contact project leader Matt Shaffer at (406) 758-3508.

Comments are due July 15 and should be within the scope of the proposed action, have a direct relationship to the proposed action and must include supporting reasons for forest officials to consider.

Written, hand-delivered and oral comments can be provided to Shaffer at 650 Wolfpack Way, Kalispell, MT 59901; by fax at (406) 758-5367 or by phone at (406) 758-3508.

Comments can also be emailed to: comments-northern-flathead-spotted-bear@fs.fed.us.

Reporter Sam Wilson can be reached at 758-4407 or by email at swilson@dailyinterlake.com.