Timber harvest planned near Star Meadows; new ski trails proposed
A map of the proposed Round Star project on the Flathead National Forest west of Whitefish.
The Flathead Forest is taking public comment on a substantial forest project planned for the Star Meadows area west of Whitefish.
The proposed action for the Round Star Project would affect more than 28,000 acres in the Tally Lake Ranger District and include new roads, commercial timber harvesting, as well as expanding the existing Round Meadow trails.
Forest officials say the scope of the project is necessary to reduce potentially dangerous wildfire conditions in what has become an overgrown and dense forest. According to the proposed action, about 87% of the project falls within a designated wildland-urban interface zone.
The project boundary borders the northern stretch of Farm to Market Road, while Star Meadows Road dissects the work area. Tally Lake is south of the project boundary.
More than 6,500 acres of commercial timber harvest is proposed, along with about 2,800 acres of noncommercial harvest.
Forest officials say the harvests will lower tree densities and surface fuels to reduce the likelihood of stand replacing fire. The project would also improve forest health by increasing the presence of larger trees that help maintain lower levels of insect and disease activities.
About 3,500 acres of the total commercial harvest would be through commercial thinning, with 1,300 acres of seed tree and 680 acres of clear cuts.
Over 20 miles of new roads would be built to accommodate harvest activities. These new roads would be closed year-round. Additionally, 3.4 miles of temporary roads are planned, and 1.5 miles of road will shift from being open year-round to seasonally.
THE ROUND Meadow Recreation Area is situated on the northeast portion of the project area. The area is a popular destination for Nordic skiing and snowshoeing in the winter, and hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding in the summer months.
As part of the project, an additional 4.2 miles of non-motorized trail would be constructed to create a new loop system. The new trails would go in south of road No. 539 and would be groomed for Nordic skiing. Three gates would need to be installed to exclude motorized use along groomed trails. The gates would be closed from Dec. 1 to April 30.
A 500-square-foot public warming shelter and 600-square-foot storage shed for grooming equipment are planned for the trailhead. It is also proposed to double the available parking to hold approximately 20 vehicles.
THE RELEASE of the proposed action starts a 30-day comment period for the public to review the document, ask questions about the proposed activities, and provide comments on the proposal. Comments will be accepted through Jan. 7, 2022 and will be used to refine the proposed activities and conduct our environmental analysis for the project.
Comments may be submitted to comments-northern-flathead-tally-lake@usda.gov with “Round Star Project” in the subject line. Send written input to Ellen Mering, Project Leader, Tally Lake Ranger Station, 650 Wolfpack Way, Kalispell, MT 59901. Contact Ellen Mering, Project Leader, for more information regarding the project at (406)758-3508.
For a complete description of proposed actions and maps, visit the project page at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=60892.