North Fork timber sales see no bids

Some of the timber sales in the Frozen-Moose project up the North Fork failed to get any bids, Glacier View/Hungry Horse District Ranger Rob Davies said during the Feb. 14 interlocal meeting.

Davies said the Center Mountain and Red Hawk sales failed to get bidders. Davies said both sales included quite a bit of road work and they were also primarily spruce and lodgepole trees. The market for those two species has collapsed.

The sales would likely be modified and put up for bid again later this year, he said.

The overall project has a host of different cutting units and goals to reduce the threat of a large wildfire in the area. All told the project includes about 3,180 acres of commercial logging to varying degrees and another 4,070 acres of non-commercial thinning and other treatments.

The projected timber harvest is about 11.1 million board feet, provided a company buys the product.

In other North Fork/Forest Service matters:

The military is doing drills in the North Fork this winter and people should expect to see soldiers every now and then on snowmobiles and skis. They use the same trails and routes that are open to the public, Davies noted and are using the Big Creek Education Center as a winter base.

Davies said despite the uncertain budget, the hope is to finish the restoration of the Ford Schoolhouse this summer. Work on the Hornet Lookout is expected as well.

Davies also said the hope is staff the North Fork lookouts as well. Volunteers often help in those efforts. 

He added that the Hay Creek Road has seen some slumps, but the Forest Service hopes to get those patched up this year.