A 2,307-acre timber project is now under way in the Swan Valley.

Officials signed off on the Piper Creek Project, which includes 1,415 acres of commercial treatments and 892 acres of noncommercial treatments near Salmon Prairie, on Oct. 16. Project documents indicated work "is anticipated to begin immediately" to improve stands riddled with disease and prone to extreme wildfire. 

During a site visit in 2023, silviculturists documented a slew of common pests and diseases, including armillaria root disease, laminated root rot, western larch dwarf mistletoe, Douglas-fir bark beetles and fir engraver bark beetles.  

"These stressors and a lack of disturbance have caused past mortality in all species present, many of which are now on the ground in the form of coarse woody debris," wrote officials in the project proposal. 

That debris, along with dense forest conditions, have primed the area for fast-moving crown fires that could endanger nearby communities, according to the proposal. 

The project was pushed through the approval process under the Healthy Forest Restoration Act, which exempts projects under 3,000 acres from an environmental assessment or impact statement if the main purpose is to promote disease resilience.  

Most of the treatments will also occur within a 112-million-acre area that Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins designated under an emergency situation determination in 2025. The classification allows timber projects to forgo the typical public objection period if the stated objectives include reducing the risk of high-intensity wildfire. 

An internal review by biologists with the U.S. Forest Service found that the project is unlikely to harm any endangered or threatened species, with the exception of grizzly bears. The bruins were categorized as "may affect, likely to adversely affect" in the project's Categorical Exclusion Review, though officials wrote that existing limitations in secure habitat and ongoing motorized use were the main contributors to that finding. 

"Given these factors and the rare occurrence of grizzly bears in the project area, potential for disturbance or displacement of bears is low," the document states. 

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.