Describing areas forests as a game of pick-up sticks following last winter's severe windstorms and heavy rain, Forest Service officials say a difficult summer of trail work lies ahead.

In an update with the Sanders County commissioners last week, Forest Service District Ranger Michael Feiger said that aerial observations and reports from the ground indicated western Montana forests are littered with downed trees.

"We're getting a lot of reports from folks that are getting out about just walls of downfall," he said.

On one stretch of trail, "there's a mile and a half section where you are basically stepping over logs every other step. That's going to take a long time for us to clear through."

He expects some area conservation groups will help with the trail clearing effort, as well as outfitters who can exchange work for reduced permits fees.

"We'll see what happens, but it's going to be a difficult summer," he warned.

People who collect firewood will also play a big role. The Forest Service as been promoting its firewood program and handing out "a lot of permits," Feiger said.

"That will be our primary mode of dealing with that material."

The federal agency has not identified much opportunity for salvage timber sales, he added.

"We've been talking with industry partners and contractors about equipment availability, and the stars aren't lining up," he said.

In existing timber sales across the region, he said the agency has been able to modify some contracts to help to capture the downed trees.

Officials have discussed the unintended consequences of all the downfall, including its effect on forest habitat that is already stressed by drought conditions.

In a press release this month, the Kootenai Forest noted that "in addition to wildfire risks, downed trees and heavy fuel loads can also provide fertile habitat for non-native and invasive species and other destructive pests, adding further long-term impacts from the storm that may be difficult to address the longer the trees remain on the ground."

Feiger said Sanders County was less affected by the storms compared to neighboring Lincoln County, where dozens of roads and bridges were washed away in flooding prior to the major wind event.

"We've been relatively lucky," he said. "We still have all our culverts and bridges intact."

In his update, Feiger touched on the recent reorganization of the Forest Service, including moving headquarters from Washington, D.C. to Salt Lake City.

While he didn't expect much impact locally from the agency shuffle, he said the trickle-down effects will be felt.

He also noted in his update that prescribed fire season is underway. Planned burns across 300 acres are associated with reforestation efforts.

"Hundreds of thousands of trees are supposed to go in the ground," he said.