The federal government is opening more than 11 million acres of national forestlands in Northwest Montana and northern Idaho to commercial salvage operations after winter windstorms caused what officials described as catastrophic levels of blowdown.

Left untended, the dried timber could become breeding grounds for forest pests and disease as well as elevate the risk of largescale wildfire through fuel loading. 

“Additionally, down or damaged trees are posing life hazards to both the public and Forest staff along roads, trails, and other developed high-use sites,” reads a June 22 public comment notice, detailing the U.S. Forest Service’s use of several emergency designations to streamline regionwide salvage operations. 

If approved, the project would greenlight salvage sales for areas in which more than 25% of trees experienced structural wind damage on the Flathead, Kootenai, Lolo, Bitterroot, Idaho Panhandle and Nez Perce-Clearwater national forests.  

“As this is a response to an emergency, specific defined areas of damage are not currently available,” reads the document. 

About 5.6 million acres across all six national forests are suitable for timber production, potentially qualifying them for commercial salvage operations, according to the document. Another 6.8 million acres were deemed unsuitable for timber production, though officials noted that some treatments could still occur in those areas, if deemed necessary. 

Designated wildernesses — encompassing about 2.7 million acres — are not included in the project’s scope. 

Officials anticipate performing further ground and aerial surveys this summer to identify specific project areas. It will likely take three to five years to complete the cleanup, but the first cuts could happen within weeks. 

The public comment notice states that the project qualifies as an emergency under the National Environment Policy Act, allowing the agency to begin operations while the mandated environmental analyses are still being conducted.  

Officials are also invoking an emergency action determination introduced by the Trump administration in April 2025, which forgoes the typical public objection period on forestry projects in areas considered prone to catastrophic wildfire.  

A final emergency authority allows the agency to leave larger-than-normal openings in the tree canopy following salvage operations. Foresters are typically required to maintain relatively small openings to ensure connectivity for wildlife like grizzly bears and lynx.  

The Forest Service will accept “substantive comments that meaningfully inform consideration of reasonably foreseeable impacts on the human environment, the resulting significance determination, decisions on how to proceed, or compliance with applicable laws, executive orders, and regulations" until 10 p.m. Mountain Standard Time, June 29. Comments may be submitted online at cara.fs2c.usda.gov/Public/CommentInput?Project=328084 and should include the commentor’s name, address, phone number and email address. 

Reporter Hailey Smalley can be reached at 406-758-4433 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.