The Swan Lake Ranger District of the Flathead National Forest is requesting public comments on the proposed Blacktail Road Project. 

The project aims to stabilize and restore about 10 miles of road starting where the Flathead County jurisdiction ends, near milepost 3.5, to the top of Blacktail Mountain.

Forest Road 917 serves as the primary access to National Forest System lands in the Blacktail Mountain area from the community of Lakeside and U.S. 93.

The road provides access to the Blacktail Mountain Ski Area, motorized and non-motorized trail systems, the Blacktail Mountain Nordic Cross-Country Ski Trail System and other recreation opportunities including huckleberry picking, hiking and scenic driving.

Blacktail Road is also a primary route for Forest Service management activities, provides access to the communication facilities on top of Blacktail Mountain and provides access to adjacent private lands.

The project would involve transferring jurisdiction of about 2 miles of the road from the U.S. Air Force to the U.S. Forest Service, reconstructing the road to accommodate a two-lane road with an asphalt surface, minor road alignments for safety and resource protection, stabilizing fill slopes on a lower road segment above Stoner Creek, improving road drainage, replacing stream culverts and using the existing Blacktail gravel pit at milepost 13 to generate material for road reconstruction.

Comments on the project must be submitted by Feb. 24.

Written, hand-delivered and oral comments can be delivered to District Ranger Rich Kehr at 200 Ranger Station Road, Bigfork, MT 59911.

They can also be faxed to (406)837-7503, emailed to [email protected] or delivered orally by calling (406) 837-7500. Please include the project name in the subject line.

For more information on the Blacktail Road Project, visit www.fs.usda.gov/goto/flathead/projects or contact Kehr at (406) 837-7503.

The ranger district will host an open house Tuesday, Feb. 9, from 4-7 p.m. at the Lakeside Town Center, 306 Stoner Loop in Lakeside, MT to present project details and answer questions.

Resource specialists will present a short overview of the project at the top of each hour from 4 to 6 p.m.