Kalispell, MT, October 12, 2023 —The Flathead National Forest, Tally Lake District Ranger is inviting the public to make comments on the proposed East Fork Salvage Project. The project is located in the Martin Creek and Blessed Pass area, approximately 6 miles west of Olney, Montana. It is within the 1,080 acres of the 2023 East Fork Fire that burned on the Flathead National Forest.
The purpose of the project is to reestablish forested conditions and facilitate recovery to meet desired conditions outlined in the Forest Plan. There is a need to improve diversity and resiliency with focus on future timber productivity and fuels objectives in the area impacted by the fire. Vegetation management would increase the presence of more fire-resistant tree species such as ponderosa pine, western larch, and western white pine.
This project also intends to positively contribute to employment and income in local communities and help to avoid loss of commodity value. The East Fork Fire burned in heavy timber in the Martin Creek and Blessed Pass areas, including economically valuable species such as Douglas-fir. Over time, the fire-killed trees will lose their economic value due to deterioration of the wood from fungi, insect damage and decay. The economic value of fire-impacted trees would decrease steadily over the next three years, with larger trees losing merchantability as defects develop.
The project proposes to implement commercial salvage harvest of up to 250 acres of fire-damaged trees and conduct post-harvest fuels mitigation and reforestation. The project also requires up to a half mile of temporary road construction, road maintenance, and reconstruction of existing Forest roads.
Public comments specific to these projects are valuable in helping the Forest Service identify concerns and provide feedback. Comments are due by November 3rd, 2023.
To provide electronic comments and learn more about the Project, and to learn more about the Project’s location, purpose and need, and proposed actions, please visit the project website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/flathead/?project=65003. The “Get Connected” menu on the right side of the page provides an option to comment as well as an option to subscribe to email updates. Comments should include your name, address, telephone number and (if applicable) the name of the organization you represent. Please see the contact information on the following page to submit your comments.
If you wish to mail written comments, please address them to:Flathead National ForestAttn: Gary Blazejewski – East Fork Salvage Project650 Wolfpack Way,Kalispell, MT 59901.
Comments may also be hand delivered weekdays 8:00 am -4:30 pm at the Tally Lake District office.
If you have additional questions, please contact Project Leader Gary Blazejewski at gary.blazejewski@usda.gov or at 406-387-3827.
