Local mills and fires highlighted during Forest Products Week
Kathleen Woodford Mineral Independent | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 7 years AGO
Montana Forest Products week was Oct. 15-21 which is an annual event started by the Montana Legislature in 2011 to honor the forest products industry and its appreciation for providing locally made wood products, stewardship of Montana’s public and private forests, and employment.
The week marked a number of regional events including a tour of various forest species at the University of Montana, schools “Walk in the Woods”, and a “Forestry Pioneers Awards Ceremony and Presentation of the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Use and Promotion of Montana Woods” in Missoula with Governor Steve Bullock.
Tricon Timber in St. Regis also hosted a tour of the Sunrise Fire burn area and a tour of their mill last week. Several members of the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Forest Service, county commissioners and school administration attended the tour and were able to see the massive destruction from the fire.
Acres of blackened trees were viewed from all angles atop mountains up Meadow Creek and Sunrise Roads. Pockets of unburned islands of healthy trees popped out among the charred surroundings. Needles from the Alpine Larch were starting to turn their golden yellow which made them pop even more.
“These were areas that had been thinned and managed in the past,” said Tricon Timber Procurement Officer, Angelo Ververis who led the tour. The islands were a stark square shape, outlining the exact management area.
Tricon Resource Manager, Willy Peck said not all of the management areas were left unscathed due to the heat of the flames but he said it did show how thinning and cleaning up the underbrush can make a difference when a wildfire consumes an area.
The 26,000 acre Sunrise Fire burned from Trout to Meadow Creek. An area that was already on the radar to be a harvest project in the near future. Tricon had slated work to begin on the Redd Bull project area and then Sunrise but due to the fire, Sunrise has risen on the list of priorities.
They are hoping to start salvage work later this spring to remove dead and dying timber. Ideally the salvaged logs should be removed within 12 to 18 months said Ververis. Forest Supervisor, Tim Garcia, will be addressing the issue within the next few weeks and make his recommendations. Tricon Timber is also looking at a salvage project for the Sheep Gap Fire just east of Thompson Falls which burned 9,860 acres.
“The affected landscape is not considered critical habitat for vulnerable wildlife species, so an immediate and comprehensive post-fire salvage effort is appropriate and necessary to help keep forest visitors safe, recover the economic value of the timber, and generate revenue to pay for reforestation,” was a statement made by Carol Young in the October Tricon newsletter.
“The Sunrise Fire is a tragic reminder of the need to work proactively to improve forest health on all our national forests. Wildfires are a natural occurrence, even on healthy and vibrant forests, but the downed and dead-standing timber in the area where the fire started made it impossible for hand crews to access the fire. An aggressive effort to reduce fuel loads and address beetle infestations would have influenced the size and intensity of the fire, and enabled fire crews to contain it more effectively,” Young went onto say.
Peck said representatives from both Montana Rep. Congressman Greg Gianforte and U.S. Rep. Senator, Steve Daines offices visited the Sunrise Fire burn area a few weeks ago and expressed support for the salvage project.
Daines, who is a stanch supporter of the timber industry says that harvests on Montana’s National Forests are down by 80 percent since 1987, comparing 624 million board feet then to 122 million board feet in fiscal year 2016. This has resulted in a loss of over 40 percent of the forest industry workforce from 12,000 to 7,000 jobs since 1990 and a loss of two-thirds of Montana mills.