The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation is taking comments on a proposed timber harvest

The Stillwater State Forest is in the scoping phase of the Upper Swede Timber Sale, which is about 7 miles northeast of Olney and about 18 miles northwest of Whitefish.

The sale area generally runs along the Upper Whitefish Road south of Upper Whitefish Lake and in areas around a portion of Swede Creek and Swift Creek.

The goal of the proposed project is to generate revenue for the Common Schools Trust for K-12 education and move the timber stands toward desired future conditions. DNRC is required by state law to sell about 56.9 million board feet of timber annually and continue to produce revenue over time.

The Upper Swede Timber proposal calls for harvesting 3 million to 5 million board feet of timber from 250 to 350 acres within the 2,024-acre project area.

According to the DNRC notice, harvest prescriptions would vary by unit and could include, commercial thinning, group selection, and regeneration harvests such as seed tree, clear cut with reserves, and shelterwood treatments.

Road maintenance, improvements, and reconstruction may be needed on existing roads to improve function and drainage of haul routes, according to the proposal. About 0.5 to 1 mile of temporary road and 1.5 to 2 miles of permanent road construction may also be necessary.

Noxious weed management, pre-commercial thinning, and tree planting may also occur under the proposed action.

The DNRC is in the scoping phase of the project environmental assessment so all volumes, acreages and road distances are preliminary estimates. In preparation for this project, specialists such as wildlife biologists, hydrologists, soil scientists, and archaeologists will be consulted.

DNRC is taking written comments and suggestions concerning this proposal through Aug. 17. Comments can be sent to Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Attn: Jeremy Akin, Management Forester, Stillwater Unit, P.O. Box 164, Olney, MT 59927 or email [email protected].