Region One of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has completed the public review process for the West Kootenai Wildlife Management Area (WMA) Fire Salvage Project Draft EA.

FWP proposes to conduct a timber salvage project on 506 acres of the West Kootenai WMA. The proposed project would include the use of mechanized timber harvest to remove merchantable fire-killed

timber, as well as associated road maintenance work and reclamation activities. The WMA is located near the community of West Kootenai and about 6.5 miles north of Rexford, Montana, in Lincoln County (T37N, R28W, S3, 4, & 10).

The draft was out for a 14-day public review through 5 p.m., Nov. 8, 2017, with 34 comments received. All the comments were supportive of Alternative B. Following review of the public comments and other relevant information, and evaluating the environmental effects, Alternative B, the proposed action, was approved pending final approval by the Fish and Wildlife Commission at its Dec. 8, 2017 meeting.

For more information contact Tim Thier, FWP Area Wildlife Biologist, at 406-882-4697 or tthier@interbel.net.