Open house set for Feb. 27 at Smith Valley

The Daily Inter Lake

A management project is being developed for national-forest lands around Ashley Lake, and the Tally Lake Ranger District is looking for public input on what should be done.

The Ashley-Herrig Resource Management Project is in a formative stage in which foresters have identified problems on about 8,160 acres within the proposed project area. But solutions have not been developed.

The district will hold an open house from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Feb. 27 at the Smith Valley Elementary School to get input on what should be done in the project area. Comments will be accepted by the district until March 12.

A summary of the project proposal describes forest lands that have been adversely affected by heavy fire suppression during the past 80 years, drought, and insects and disease.

Some lodgepole stands that were not harvested after a heavy bark-beetle infestation in the 1970s and '80s are now clusters of deadfall.

"These areas have extremely high levels of dead fuels, which is a concern to wildland fire managers on the Flathead National Forest and other ownerships," according to the summary.

It suggests thinning out those areas, as well as thinning in more vigorous stands, to regenerate a forest of mixed species that would be more resilient to wildfires.

The fuel-loading issue is important, according to the summary, largely because of increased home development in the Ashley Lake area.

A Flathead County fuels-reduction plan cites the same area as being priority because of the increasing density of homes.

After initial comments have been collected, the district intends to hold a field trip in the project area this summer. Questions abut the project can be directed to District Ranger Lisa Krueger or Bryan Donner, the district planner, by calling 863-5400.

Submit e-mail comments to: comments-northern-flathead-tally-lake@fs.fed.us.

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com.