Trail lovers were optimistic after Tuesday evening’s Crystal Cedar Project meeting in Columbia Falls.

The Flathead National Forest’s project includes a plan to build a 24.5-mile multitrail system just outside of the city, including the Crystal Creek, Cedar Flats, Spoon Lake, Blankenship Road and Teakettle Mountain areas. The trail could create loops and some segments could be constructed on top of temporary roadways while other segments could have new construction. The plan also calls for an interpretive wetlands trail.

The Teakettle Community Room was packed with people who wanted to know more about the plan that may help satisfy the Flathead Valley’s desire for more trails.

The Hungry Horse Horse-Glacier View Ranger District’s plans also include timber harvest and thinning that it says will help with wildfire management.

Jon Elliott has lived in the Columbia Falls and Polebridge areas for 45 years. He liked what he heard and envisioned a bigger trail network, too.

“The whole place is a fire trap, so thinning would be good,” Elliott said. “And this trail gives us a chance to connect with trails in Whitefish.”

The Whitefish Trail currently consists of 12 trailheads and 42-plus miles of trails encircling Whitefish and Whitefish Lake.

Bob Smith, president of the North Valley Sportsmen’s Club, was initially concerned about the Crystal Cedar Project because their property sits in the project area.

“When I talked to them, there won’t be any disruption to what we’re doing and doing some fuel reduction up there isn’t a bad idea,” Smith said.

Ken Carpenter moved from Helena three years ago to the area and he said his home sits up against national forest land.

“I’m only a few hundred yards from Cedar Flats, so I’m happy to see this project,” Carpenter said.

Julie Tickle, the executive director of Whitefish-based Dream Adaptive, said she was at the meeting to see if the trails would be accessible for people with disabilities.

“It’s hard to make current trails accessible, but for a new one, it’d be great to see,” Tickle said.

The Forest Service said it is willing to work with any group that is interested in helping build the trail network.

“The Cedar Flats working group of Gateway to Glacier has really stepped up,” Project Manager Sarah Canepa said. “We are also open to any group that is interested in helping with this.”

The trail system also would include 0.2 miles open to all-terrain vehicles. This short connector trail would provide an access to Forest Service Road 1690 from FS Trail 6400 and the existing motorized trail system, the plan stated.

One trailhead is proposed at the junction of Barnett Road and NFS Road 10815, and another on NFS Road 1690. Pullouts may be constructed along open roads to allow for two to three cars to park at various points in the trail network.

“We’ve been hearing from a lot of people that want trails near where they live,” Canepa said.

The proposed timber harvest would include nearly 4,000 acres as well as thinning harvest and prescribed burns to reduce wildfire fuel.

Hungry Horse-Glacier View District Ranger Rob Davies said the hope is that some of the tree removal would allow an increase in the diversity of trees and also improve browse for big-game animals such as moose and elk.

Maps and descriptions of the proposed action is available for review online at www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=52844. The Forest Service wants comments on the proposed action by Nov. 16.

The Forest Service hopes to have a final decision by September 2019.

Electronic comments may be submitted to comments-northern-flathead-hungry-horse-glacier-view@fs.fed.us with “Crystal Cedar Project” in the subject line. Written comments should sent to Davies at the Hungry Horse-Glacier View Ranger District, P.O. Box 190340, Hungry Horse, MT 59919.

For more information or to request a hard copy of the proposed action, contact Canepa at 406-387-3800.

Reporter Scott Shindledecker may be reached at 406-758-4441 or sshindledecker@dailyinterlake.com.