In December, the Lolo National Forest issued a final decision notice for the Westside Ninemile Wildfire Resiliency Project to implement vegetation and fuel reduction activities along the west-side of the Ninemile Valley within Missoula County.
This 2,396-acre project is adjacent to private land within Bird Creek and Cedar Creek tributaries. A little more of a third of the project area (more than 800 acres) is located within the Missoula County Community Wildfire Protection Plan and Healthy Forest Restoration Act designated wildland urban interface.
The project improves conditions for wildfire suppression and reduces the risk of severe wildfires by promoting healthy forest stands that are resilient to insects and disease as well as wildfires.
“I’m grateful for the input provided by the local community who, along with our fire fighters may benefit from actions allowed by this decision,” said Chris Gauger, District Ranger, Ninemile Ranger District.
The project is located in one of the highest risk firesheds in the nation, Alberton, MT #312, and aligns with the USDA Forest Service’s Wildfire Crisis Strategy that works with partners to protect communities and improve the resilience of America’s Forests. To help the Forest Service implement this strategy, the Secretary of Agriculture invoked the emergency authority in 2023, under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (Section 40807), authorizing the agency to take emergency actions to protect public health and safety, critical infrastructure, and natural resources on National Forest System lands from destructive wildfires.
In September 2023, the Forest Service approved the Westside Ninemile Wildfire Resiliency Project to be implemented as an Emergency Action Determination project. Under the Emergency Action Determination, the project was not subject to the pre-decisional objection review process allowing the Forest to address forest health and hazardous fuels conditions quickly and responsibly.
This project will proactively manage fuels, maximize the retention of fire tolerant old-growth and large trees, as well as promote healthy and fire resilient stands in the project area. The planned treatments are strategically located to reduce spread from prevailing wind direction and provide fire managers improved opportunities for success in reducing wildfire impacts to the Ninemile Valley.
“We will continue to plan strategic work to improve the health of the forest and to minimize the impacts from wildfire on our local communities,” said Gauger.
Implementation of this project is expected to begin later this year.
For more information on the Westside Ninemile Wildfire Resiliency Project, please visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/lolo/?project=64799.
For more information about the Lolo National Forest, please visit the website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/lolo or follow updates on Facebook and X.
About the Forest Service: The mission of the USDA Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The agency manages the 193 million acres of National Forest System land, provides stewardship assistance to non-federal forest landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world.
