Ranger district requests comments on project
The Hungry Horse-Glacier View Ranger District is requesting comments on the management activities proposed in the Hungry Lion Resource Management Project. The proposed activities are available for review and public comment through Dec. 21. The district is hosting an open house on Thursday, Dec. 8, from 4 to 7 p.m., at the Hungry Horse Ranger Station, 10 Hungry Horse Drive in Hungry Horse, to share information on the project and invite public comment.
The project proposes recreational improvements to the North Lion Lake day-use area, including a possible handicap fishing pier and improvements to parking and traffic flow at this popular site. The project also proposes to add two non-motorized trails to the National Forest Trail system at Lion Hill and Desert Mountain with partnership maintenance agreements. Approximately 3,295 acres of commercial harvest and 1,645 acres of non-commercial harvest are proposed to improve forest health, reduce risk to firefighters and the public in the event of a wildfire, and maintain timber productivity on suitable lands. To improve aquatic habitat, the project proposes up to 15 culvert replacements and structure upgrades, as well as minor rerouting of the upper section of Emery Creek Road 546.
The construction of temporary roads and the reconstruction of historic roads will be required to conduct project activities, and at the conclusion of project activities approximately 7.6 miles of historic road would be storm-proofed, bermed, and go into a storage status for future resource management. The project may also require a site-specific amendment to conduct aquatic restoration activities in a grizzly bear security core during the non-denning period.
Comments on the project are requested by Dec. 21 so that public input can be used to identify issues that in turn may lead to the development of alternatives to the proposed action. Written, hand-delivered, and oral comments can be delivered to Project Team Leader Sarah Canepa at Hungry Horse Ranger Station, 10 Hungry Horse Drive, Hungry Horse, MT, 59919; or by phone at 406-387-3800. Electronic comments can be sent to comments-northern-flathead-hungry-horse-glacier-view@fs.fed.us with “Hungry Lion” in the subject line.
Additional information about the Hungry Lion Resource Management project can be found at the project website, www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=50134.