A large-scale commercial timber and fuels project in the Tally Lake Ranger District will move forward in the planning process after the Flathead National Forest completed a draft decision notice on the proposal last week.

The project, known as the Salish Good Resource Management Project, would allow for commercial timber harvest to occur on approximately 6,000 acres located about 20 miles north of Whitefish, and an additional 3,000 acres — not under the commercial contract — would be treated to reduce forest fuels.

According to a press release from the Flathead National Forest, the commercial harvest would provide timber for local mills and would reduce forest fuels near homes in the area and elsewhere.

The draft decision would allow the Forest to construct approximately 3 miles of temporary road and 35 miles of permanent administrative road, a portion of which would be open to non-motorized public recreation use when roads are not being used for log-hauling purposes. The permanent roads would be used for future timber projects in the area.

Also, in an effort to reduce sediment for the benefit of water quality and aquatic habitat, “dozens of culverts would be approved for repalcement, removal, or improvement,” the press release states.

Flathead National Forest received nine comments during a public input period that closed April 19. The majority of the comments were from neighboring landowners who expressed appreciation for hazardous fuels reduction, had questions about hydrologic efforts and wanted the Forest to “be mindful of viewshed impacts to their properties.”

The remainder of the comments were from advocacy groups and state agencies, some of which identified concerns related to impacts to wildlife and water quality, while others requested additional timber harvest opportunities and more hazardous fuel reduction.

In regards to the proposal, Flathead National Forest Supervisor Kurt Steele recently told the Whitefish Pilot, “active forest management projects like this one are extremely important to continue our multiple use agency mission not only to increase the chance of firefighter success during wildfires, but also to help sustain the health and diverstiy of our forests.”

The project is now in the objection period of the Forest’s planning process.

Objections will only be accepted from those who have previously submitted specific written comments regarding the proposed project during scoping or other designated opportunity periods for public comments.

The public must submit their objections by July 5, 2020. Objections and documents must be filed via mail to Objection Reviewing Officer, USDA Forest Service, Northern Region, 26 Fort Missoula Road, Missoula, MT 59804, by fax to 406-329-3411 or emailed to appeals-northern-regional-office@usda.gov. For more information about the project contact Project Leader Tami MacKenzie at 406-758-3508 or tamara.mackenzie@usda.gov

Reporter Kianna Gardner can be reached at 758-4407 or kgardner@dailyinterlake.com