Salvage proposal made for Smith Lake after storm
A windstorm on March 14 blew down trees in a large area north of Whitefish Lake. Large trees were pulled up by their roots and left crisscrossing each other on the ground. The Stillwater State Forest is working on plans for a timber project in the area that would salvage the fallen timber. (Heidi Desch/Whitefish Pilot)
The Stillwater State Forest has released its initial proposal for the salvage and timber harvest for a blowdown area on more than 300 acres near Smith Lake.
The forest, under the state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, is seeking public and stakeholder comment on a proposed project that is expected to harvest 1 million to 1.5 million board feet of timber with a focus on the downed, damaged and infested trees. Work would also include pile and burn slash, site preparation and planting of new trees.
An extensive wind event on March 14 caused the blowdown of mature timber on the Stillwater Forest along East Lakeshore Drive, Lower Whitefish Lake Road, between King Creek and Brush Creek, in a large swath of area between Smith Lake and East Lakeshore Drive and Whitefish Lake.
The project is in the scoping phase of the project environmental assessment so figures are considered preliminary.
According to the DNRC proposal, the primary objectives of the Swift Smith project are to salvage and capture the value of the blown down and damaged timber, and reopen roads, trails and areas for recreation such as the Swift Creek portion of the Whitefish Trail and the Smith Lake Disc Golf Course.
In addition, the goal is to reduce the amount of debris to decrease the potential wildlife hazards in the area that is within Flathead County’s Wildland Urban Interface and reduce the spread of Douglas fir bark beetle.
Rehabilitation of the area is also planned by planting trees, tipping back root wads in highly visible areas and chipping limbs.
As part of the environmental assessment, foresters and specialists such as recreation and fire specialists, wildlife biologists, hydrologists, soil scientists, entomologist, and archaeologists will be consulted, DNRC notes.
DNRC is seeking comments and suggestions concerning the proposal by April 13, so that they can be incorporated into the planning process. Submit comments to, Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Attn: Mike McMahon, Stillwater Unit,
P.O. Box 164, Olney, MT 59927, or email mmcmahon@mt.gov or call
406-881-2670.
