State proposes timber sale for Beaver, Boyle lakes area

The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation has released an initial proposal for a timber sale near Beaver Lake extending north to Boyle Lake.

The proposed project area is about five miles west of Whitefish in the Stillwater State Forest and accessed off Lupfer Road. The sale, termed Beaver-to-Boyle, is expected to generate 2 million to 5 million board feet of timber on school trust lands on an estimated 900 acres.

Mike McMahon, forest management supervisor with the Stillwater, says the proposal is to examine the timber sale though an initial scoping process followed by further review.

“We want to look at the initial proposal and see what concerns there are by the public and also do an interval review,” he said. “This allows us to look at, are there issues that require mitigation.”

The primary objectives of the sale, according to the DNRC timber sale notice, is to generate timber harvest for DNRC as required by state law to generate revenue for the School Trusts and Forest Improvement Fund accounts. In addition, to design a project to maintain existing recreational uses and include provisions for proposed future recreational uses in the Beaver Lakes Area Public Recreation Use Easement and proposed recreation including in the proposed Close the Loop Trail and Public Recreation Use Easement project.

McMahon said the timber sale is about generating timber harvest as part of the DNRC’s annual yield target, and also about reduction of fuels while introducing a new age class of timber to the area. He said the last time any work was done in the area was 2007, but most of the area hasn’t see any timber harvest since 1999 to 2002.

The portion of the Whitefish Trail that runs from the Beaver Lake trailhead to around Woods Lake, Dollar Lake and Little Beaver Lake are included in the proposed timber project. Two sections of potential trail approved, but not constructed — to run to Murray Lake and one to Beaver Lake — are also part of the project. The Whitefish Trail section proposed to run from North Beaver near Boyle Lake eventually connecting with Swift Creek that is currently under separate environmental review by DNRC is also inside the boundaries of the timber project.

The city of Whitefish, along with Whitefish Legacy Partners, holds the recreation use easements in the project area.

“We will work with them to hear their concerns about preventing damage to the trail or safety concerns for recreation,” McMahon said.

A field tour of the project area is set for Saturday, May 5 from 9:30 a.m. to noon. The tour will focus on a few proposed harvest units within the project area and discuss the effects of past timber harvest. Folks are asked to meet at the Beaver Lake kiosk at the end of Beaver Lake Road.

McMahon said the field tour will present the history of the project area, explain the conditions that currently exist in the forest and explain what DNRC hopes to accomplish through the timber sale.

The proposed sale, according to the DNRC will consider timber management, fire and fuels management, road infrastructure and the trail network and recreation easement.

The timber sale is designed to promote biodiversity by harvesting to create openings and growing sites with most of the area is called to be a western larch/Douglas-fir forest. About 40 to 60 percent of the existing trees are proposed to be harvested through a commercial thin harvest to reduce density and forest fuels, while improve growth rates of preferred species like western larch. Improvement harvest is also planned as a selective harvesting technique to reduce fuels, but also increase the representation of preferred species while removing trees at a high risk for mortality.

The project calls for improving and maintaining the transportation system for forest management and recreation through road maintenance. One existing road is planned to be reconstructed and restricted following timber harvest. One new road, at about 850 feet in length, is planned to be constructed. Also, several short temporary roads may be required to access logging operations.

The DNRC notice, notes that the timber management project is expected to coordinate with the recreation use of the area and develop mitigations to minimize conflicts.

The initial proposal will be followed by an environmental assessment and then the Stillwater Unit Manager will make a decision on the timber sale. The project will then go before the state Land Board for approval likely in May 2019.

The timber sale will happen likely in 2019, then logging should take two to three years to complete, followed by hazard reduction and tree planting. The estimated completion of the timber project is 2024.

The full timber sale proposal is available at http://dnrc.mt.gov/public-interest/public-notices/BeavertoBoyle_web.pdf

Comments on the proposal are due by May 10 to DNRC, Matt Lufholm, Stillwater Unit, P.O. Box 164, Olney, MT, 59927 or mlufhom@mt.gov or 406-881-2371.