Environmental assessment released for watershed fuel reduction project
The Flathead National Forest has released the environmental assessment for the proposed fuels-reduction project in Haskill Basin known as the Whitefish Municipal Watershed Fuel Reduction project. It includes 1,114 acres of forestland.
The project was developed through a collaborative process, and is located on the Tally Lake Ranger District, northeast of the city of Whitefish. Much of the project area is surrounded by private and state owned lands in the wildland urban interface.
The project will modify forest stand conditions to increase resilience to insect infestation and reduce future tree mortality. This project will also increase wildland fire resiliency and reduce hazardous fuel, to protect the Whitefish municipal watershed.
Several types of silvicultural treatments are proposed on a total of 254 acres. Approximately 859 acres within the project area are proposed to have fuel treatments by either prescribed burning of 756 acres or understory removal on 103 acres. The project will create approximately 2 miles of temporary roads that will be rehabilitated after the project is completed.
A portion of road 316B on the Glacier View Ranger District would be closed to summer wheeled motorized vehicles to increase grizzly bear security. In order to address the above needs for the project some of the Forest Plan MA 2A standards would need to be amended for the duration of this project.
The project is expected to be implemented the summer of 2017.
The project area is within lands designated by Montana Gov. Steve Bullock under the 2014 Farm Bill amendment to the Healthy Forest Restoration Act of 2003. This allows for the area to be designated as part of an insect and disease treatment program since this area meets the criteria of experiencing forest health decline. The act describes the alternative analysis process for projects within the wildland-urban interface. The municipal watershed project area is within the interface and is located no further than 1 1/2 miles from the boundary of an at-risk community. The Forest Service is not required to study, develop, or describe any alternative to the proposed agency action.
The act also provides for a pre-decisional review (objection) process. The municipal watershed project and project-specific forest plan amendment are subject to review and objection. A written objection must be submitted to the reviewing officer within 30 calendar days following publication of the Dec. 7 legal notice.
Objections will only be accepted from those who have previously submitted specific written comments regarding the project during scoping or other designated opportunity for public comment. Issues raised in objections must be based on previously submitted timely, specific written comments regarding the proposed project unless based on new information arising after the designated comment opportunities.
The environmental assessment and draft decision memo is available at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/projects/flathead/landmanagement/projects, and are also available for review at the Tally Lake Ranger Station, 650 Wolfpack Way, Kalispell, MT.
For more information, contact project leader Deb Bond at 406-758-5318 or emailing dbond01@fs.fed.us.