The Flathead National Forest, Tally Lake Ranger District, signed the final decision notice and prepared an updated environmental assessment for the Cyclone Bill Project. These documents can be accessed at the project website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=63658.
The project is located approximately 13 miles west of Whitefish, Montana, to the south side of the Star Meadow area, and includes Tally Lake and parts of Logan Creek. This final decision notice authorizes approximately 9,192 acres of commercial timber harvest and 3,139 acres of noncommercial treatments to reduce tree densities and fuel loadings within the wildland-urban interface, improve the diversity and resilience of vegetative communities, and contribute continued timber production and economic sustainability in local communities. Approximately 4,383 acres of treatment are proposed within the wildland-urban interface zone defined by the Health Forests Restoration Act of 2003.
This project completed the pre-decisional administrative review (objections) process pursuant to 36 CFR 218, subparts A and B. More information about the objection review process can be found in the decision notice. The project activities included in this final decision notice were found to comply with all applicable laws and the Flathead National Forest 2018 Forest Plan.
Implementation of vegetation treatments may begin as soon as the decision is signed. Commercial treatments will likely take approximately five years to complete, but other funding-dependent project activities could take up to ten years to complete.
Please contact Sarah Hash, project leader, if you would like more information about the project at sarah.hash@usda.gov or (406) 758-3508.
