SANDPOINT — The U.S. Forest Service is issuing a draft decision and a finding of no significant impact with a project to improve grizzly bear habitat in Bonner and Boundary counties.

The Idaho Panhandle National Forests are managed according to the 2015 Land Management Plan, also known as the forest plan. Direction in the forest plan requires all grizzly bear-management units to meet access management standards by 2019. Currently, the Grouse Bear Management Unit does not meet those standards.

In an effort to improve grizzly bear habitat within the Grouse BMU, the project will store approximately 28 miles of roads, close approximately 3 miles of unauthorized roads and approximately 1 mile of unauthorized ATV trail, and re-route about 2 miles of road, according to the Forest Service.

“By increasing grizzly bear core habitat and reducing open and total motorized road densities in these units, the project will achieve compliance,” the Forest Service said in a statement.

The Grouse BMU is located near McArthur Lake in Boundary County and on the east side of U.S. Highway 95, northwest of Lunch Peak in Bonner County.

The draft decision is subject to the objection process. Objections must be submitted within 45 calendar days following publication of the legal notice in the newspaper of record on June 21, 2019. Information about the project and instructions on how to submit an objection are available online at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=47308

Both the Sandpoint and Bonners Ferry district rangers thanked all of the stakeholders and the collaborative effort involved with the planning and consulting on the Grouse Bear Management Unit Compliance Project.

Keith Kinnaird can be reached by email at kkinnaird@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow him on Twitter @KeithDailyBee.