East valley fuels reduction project open for comment

A public scoping comment period is now open for an east valley fuels reduction project. 

The project is located on the Swan Lake and Hungry Horse Ranger Districts of the Flathead National Forest. It is along Highway 83, Foothills Roads and Highway 206 corridors on the east side of Flathead Valley starting in the north just east of Columbia Falls and going south to Bigfork on Forest Service land.  

The Flathead National Forest is proposing to treat 2,541 acres of vegetation to reduce hazardous fuel loading within the wildland-urban interface and restore resilient forested stands.  

The projects will aim to improve ecosystem and vegetation diversity and resilience, reduce fire behavior near communities within the wildland-urban interface and produce timber products to contribute to the economic sustainability of local economies. 

The proposed action includes non-commercial treatments on 855 acres, commercial harvest on 1,686 acres, four temporary road segments of 0.9 miles and no new road construction in the project area. All temporary roads would be rehabilitated after the project activities are completed. 

A notice of the proposed action and maps are available on-line at www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=64492. 

The public scoping process begins March 7 and ends April 6.  

Electronic comments can be submitted at www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=64492.  

Written comments must be submitted to: District Ranger, Swan Lake Ranger District, 200 Ranger Station Road, Bigfork, Montana 59911, Phone: (406) 837-7500. 

Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names and addresses of those who comment, will be considered part of the public record for this project and will be available for public inspection. 

Additional information can be obtained from: Chris Dowling, District Ranger at 406-837-7500 or Christoper.dowling@usda.gov, Robert Davies, District Ranger at 406-387-3801 or Robert.davies@usda.gov or Lisa Osborn, Project Leader, at 406-295-4693 or e-mail lisa.osborn@usda.gov