North Fork timber sale goes to bid

A proposed state timber sale in the North Fork near Winona Ridge will go out for bid this spring, according to Stillwater State Forest unit manager Brian Manning.

The Moran Cyclone Timber Sale calls for harvesting up to 6 million board feet of timber from 2,901 acres on the Coal Creek State Forest.

The sale would make about $1.3 million for the School of Mines, State Normal School, public buildings and Montana State University trusts.

The area is a mix of western larch, Douglas fir, lodgepole pine and subalpine fir that was logged in the 1930s, early 1980s and early 1990s. About one-third of the project area burned in the 2001 Moose Fire.

The project calls for commercial and pre-commercial thinning, regeneration and overstory removal. The goal is to create a mosaic of new timber stands that emulate the effects of a wildfire.

About 1.75 miles of temporary road would be reclaimed later. Log-hauling traffic may increase by up to 12 truckloads per day on Hay Creek Road and the North Fork Road. The application of dust abatement, such as magnesium chloride, may be required.

According to a March environmental assessment, impacts to the viewshed are expected to vary. A small portion of the project may be visible from Glacier National Park north of Polebridge.

A public comment period garnered only a few letters and e-mails. One person requested maintaining a stand of large larch trees on state land adjacent to their property. Other comments suggested using slash for biomass. A nearby landowner supported the project.