The Kootenai National Forest’s Libby Ranger District invites scoping comments on the Snowshoe Granite 1000 Roadside Fuelbreak project.  

This scoping period provides the public the opportunity to submit input, concerns or support on the proposed project.

 The Snowshoe Granite 1000 project would address hazardous fuel conditions on approximately 1,327 contiguous acres adjacent to roadways. The project is located adjacent to Libby with the entirety of the project area occurring within the wildland-urban interface (WUI) established by the 2023 Lincoln County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). 

The project area occurs in the Granite Creek, Big Cherry Creek, Lower Libby Creek and Flower Creek drainages. The proposed action influences yearlong county roads, on Forest Service Land, which provide access to private residences.

The constructed fuelbreak will run along roadways on National Forest Service lands and will include:

- Granite Lake Road (FS618)

- Snowshoe Road (FS1405)

- Flower Lake Road (FS128)

- Prospect Creek Road (FS14435)

- Granite Creek Road (FS14434)

- Willow Road

- Lower Granite Creek Road (FS4791)

- No Creek Road (FS5145)

- Deep Creek Road (FS4792)

- Hogan Drive

Initial activities identified in this proposal may begin as early as Oct.1.

The proposed treatments would reduce fuels to modify fire behavior to allow for successful initial attack and to provide control lines during fire suppression activities.

Reducing available fuel will lower flame lengths and fire intensity, minimize the potential for crown fire, increase the effectiveness of suppression efforts, enhance safe public egress in the event of wildfire and improve firefighter safety. 

This would be done through the implementation of both commercial and non-commercial fuel breaks. More details and specifics about the project can be found at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/kootenai/?project=64289.

This project is also a cooperative effort with Montana Department Natural Resource Conservation (DNRC) through a Good Neighbor Authority GNA) agreement. Good Neighbor agreements allow Forest Service and state forestry agencies to cooperatively implement the critical management work to keep our forests healthy and productive.

Comments during the scoping period are most helpful when provided within 30 days or by March 30 but will be accepted and considered throughout project development and analysis.

To submit comments, written comments must be submitted via mail, fax, or in person (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., excluding holidays) to: Libby Ranger District, Canoe Gulch, Attn: Jennifer Runnels, 12557 Highway 37, Libby, MT 59923. 

The fax number is 406-283-7531.

Electronic comments be submitted through the project webpage at https://cara.fs2c.usda.gov/Public//CommentInput?Project=64289.

For more information, pleas call the Libby Ranger District Office at 406-293-7773.