Forest plans North Fork fuel project
By JIM MANN
The Daily Inter Lake
The Flathead National Forest is proposing an ambitious project to reduce fire fuels and enhance wildlife habitat in the North Fork Flathead basin.
The "Red Whale Project" proposal involves varying degrees of logging on 2,125 acres and 1,400 acres of prescribed burning in areas between Whale Creek and Moran Creeks, drainages west of the North Fork Flathead River. The project also involves closing 14 to 16 miles of forest roads with gates and 5.6 miles of trails to motorized use to improve wildlife security habitat.
The Hungry Horse-Glacier View Ranger Districts are taking public comments on the proposal until July 28. And a field trip of the project areas is planned for July 17.
Comments will be used to further develop the project and determine the level of environmental analysis it will require.
As planned so far, the project is intended "to reduce forest fuel levels near private property and enhance habitat diversity and security for several wildlife species," according to a notice from District Ranger Jimmy DeHerrera.
The proposal is partly based on a Flathead County fire plan focusing on "wildland urban interface" areas - forested areas "within 1.5 miles of residential structures, developments, or private properties suitable for development or for residential use."
That plan also established priority areas around the county for fuel reduction work. A group of concerned North Fork property owners formed a committee that developed recommendations to mitigate wildfire risks, identifying priority fuel reduction areas from Whale Creek south to Moose Creek, and from Hawk Creek south to the 1988 Red Bench fire area and the Hay Creek Area.
"These priority areas correspond with the Red Whale project area," the district's notice states.
The proposal involves scattered units over a series of different types of forest stands, each with different thinning approaches.
Prescribed burning is planned mostly on southern slopes in Moose, Red Meadow, Hay and Moran creek drainages for the purpose of rejuvenating shrubs, grasses and other wildlife browse.
Many of the slopes have not burned for at least 70 to 90 years, the proposal states. "The desired situation for these slopes would restore the role of fire to reduce tree density and allow shrubs and forbs to become a more significant component of the vegetation community."
The proposal's road closures are largely aimed at complying with controversial road density standards in the current Flathead Forest Plan. The standards are aimed at reducing motorized access that "has been shown to displace grizzly bears and other wildlife," the proposal states.
The project would not involve new roads, with the exception of a .3 mile stretch of road to provide access to state land managed by the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.
Those interested in attending the July 17 field trip to the project areas are asked to register by calling the Hungry Horse Ranger Station at 387-3800.
Information on the project will be available on the Flathead forest Web site: http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/flathead/