Forest Service proposes 1,300-acre salvage sale

by Chris Peterson Hungry Horse News
| February 4, 2016 6:41 AM

The Forest Service last week released a plan to salvage timber from a little more than 1,300 acres of the Trail Creek Fire near Spotted Bear. The fire burned more than 21,456 acres, but the bulk of that was in inventoried roadless areas or in the Great Bear Wilderness.

The plan calls for building 7 miles of roads in previous road grades. After the harvest, the roads, plus an additional mile of existing road would be placed in what the Forest Service terms “intermittent stored service.” The new roads would not remain open to motorized use.

The project looks to harvest between 6 and 7 million board feet of timber. About 246 acres of the burned area were initially part of the Spotted Bear River project that was approved before the fire.

The logging would take place in winter, but the road construction could take place from July 1 to Nov. 30 in 2016, ‘17 and ‘18. The area is considered core grizzly bear habitat. Most of the salvage would occur in the Bent Creek and South Creek drainages, with smaller units near Whitcomb Creek.

The Forest Service is looking to fast-track the project.

An Emergency Situation Determination is being requested for the proposed project from Forest Chief Tom Tidwell. If approved the ESD would grant immediate implementation of the project. Logging would start next winter.

If the determination status is approved the proposed action would not be subject to the project objection process. Comments on the project are requested by Feb. 11.

Written, hand-delivered, and oral comments can be delivered to Project Leader Matt Shaffer at 650 Wolfpack Way, Kalispell, MT 59901; by fax (406) 758-5367; or by phone at (406) 758-5204.Submit electronic comments to comments-northern-flathead-spotted-bear@fs.fed.us with the project name in the subject line. For additional information on the Trail Creek Salvage Project, visit the Flathead National Forest website at http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/flathead/projects, or contact the Project Leader, Matt Shaffer, at (406) 758-5204.