Area opening up next week for firewood gathering

The Flathead National Forest will open roads for personal use firewood collection from July 30–Aug. 30 in the Hungry Horse Ranger District.

Roads will be open in the Goldie Creek area, including 1605 and 895K in Sections 35 and 36, T29N R18W. These roads provide access to dead, down and standing dead trees. This road will open at 7 a.m. Monday, July 30 and close Aug. 30.

A Forest Service personal-use firewood permit is available for a minimum of four cords of firewood for $20. Woodcutters must have their permit with them while collecting wood and fill it out as required. All terms and conditions on the permit must be followed. They include not cutting trees, standing or downed, marked with paint or wildlife signs.

Also, road surfaces must be cleared and ditches of tree tops and limbs when cutting is done. All vehicles must remain on the road.

The area will be monitored by Forest Service personnel, as in previous years. Resource damage, such as creating “stump roads” or the loss of marked wildlife trees, could result in discontinuing the opportunity to cut firewood on year-long closed roads.

To be sure that everyone has a safe and enjoyable woodcutting experience; people visiting the area are asked to spread out, keep a lookout for other people and vehicles, and as much as possible keep the road open and passable for others.

Maps of the woodcutting areas, as well as firewood permits, are available at the local ranger station in the woodcutting area or Flathead National Forest Supervisor’s Office in Kalispell.