There’s more than meets the eye when it comes to wildlife — it’s not just what animals or plants we see, but what we don’t see. Especially when you get to see it up close and personal, as a recent tour of a forest service project over the weekend that local residents attended.

Approximately 50 people showed up to tour the Redd Bull project area on June 28. The tour was hosted by the Forest Service to share information about the area and discuss management options. The project area is located south and west of St. Regis in Dry, Little Joe, Twomile, and Ward Creeks.

It covers more than 85,000 acres and contains over 1.7 million board feet of standing timber.  The group assembled at the St. Regis Community Center at 9 a.m. They took vans for the full day tour which was coordinated by Superior Forest Service District Ranger, Carole Johnson.  It is a popular recreation area and some of the drainages are being considered for closure. Which is why the Forest Service is seeking public opinion about its future.  Johnson said that they “couldn’t have asked for better representation” than the people who showed up on Tuesday.

There were people with the wood products industry; residents; Fish, Wildlife and Parks personnel; business owners; people with the Department of Environmental Quality; ATV representatives; and other recreational enthusiasts.

“It shows how passionate people are about how national forest lands are managed. I was just blown away by that level of participation,” said Johnson. “People were very respectable while listening to others comment about how the land could be used. They seemed interested in hearing what others had to say.”

Tim Garcia, the Lolo National Forest supervisor, told Johnson that to have so many people turn out, and at that level of involvement, is “just unheard of.”

Kevin Chamberlain, chairman of the Mineral County Resource Coalition, also attended the event. He commented how important is was to have so much input into the project area.

“Rather than just close a road, what are the alternatives?” he said.

He also commented that Moore Lake is a beautiful area and suggested it be developed for walking tours, as well as making it wheelchair accessible.

Denley Loge, who also went on the tour, said that the rockslide in the area could be developed and it has the potential to be a national attraction, comparing it to Quake Lake in southwestern Montana.

There was also a discussion during the meeting about timber. Most of it is over-mature, and dying, James Arney, a St. Regis resident said in a recent email. He said that it has a net value over $350 million according to a 1986 Lolo National Forest inventory update.

Chamberlain and Loge pointed out that in “the old days” of logging, they did it when snow was on the ground. This would eliminate siltation in the streams, and the need to make permanent roads. Chamberlain said a 40 year plan should be considered. With this cycle, it would make the area sustainable. It would require stewardship and thinning, as well as trail maintenance.

The comment period is still open. Johnson said that no decisions will be made until next fall. There will also be another public meeting to further define the forest service course of action.