Scenic values should be preserved

I’d like to briefly address issues I feel are important to aspects of the ongoing Flathead National Forest Plan revision.

Endangered species: The lynx, the wolverine and the grizzly bear are all finding it difficult to survive in our national forests. When considering operations such as timber management, hunting permits and multiple-use access, the aforementioned species require and deserve the ability to safely move about. We need to keep some natural corridors intact so these animals can securely pass from place to place, like from Glacier National Park to the Great Bear Wilderness, for example.

I became upset with the Flathead National Forest when they recently “managed yet damaged” the Devil Creek area along U.S. 2 west of Marias Pass. The animals I mentioned above, as well as others, will now likely avoid movement through that area until the forest fully recovers, which will be quite some time. We need to actively think “wildlife corridor.”

Scenic value: Using Devil Creek again as a template, the Forest Service operation there left highly visible scars on the landscape. U.S. 2 is the only route available for vehicles to access the Continental Divide region in Northern Montana throughout most of the year. I view it essential that the Flathead National Forest, along with other public and private entities, keep the natural areas that still exist along U.S. 2, and especially those between the towns of East Glacier and West Glacier, in as pristine a state as possible. Tourists will appreciate it, recreationalists and sportsmen will appreciate it, businesses will gain from it and the wildlife that depends on such areas for mobility will benefit from it.

Allow me to take this one step further. I would like to propose that the Flathead National Forest create an option that could be used to permanently preserve the scenic value and natural integrity of national forest lands that are directly adjacent to critical byways like U.S. 2. A designation such as “National Forest Corridor Preserve,” or something similar, might work as appropriate language for such newly protected areas.

Tom Petrillo lives in Essex.