Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 32
KALISPELL - Flathead National Forest, Spotted Bear Ranger District signed the final decision notice for the Spotted Bear Mountain Project last week. This project is located just south of the Spotted Bear Ranger Station. One goal of the project is to improve the diversity and resilience of forest vegetation, which largely includes increasing the presence of ponderosa pine on the landscape. Other goals include improving forest health, reducing the negative impacts of wildfire, and contributing forest products to the local community. The signed...
SWAN VALLEY - The Flathead National Forest is planning to conduct fall prescribed fire projects when weather, fuel conditions and air quality become favorable. Smoke will be visible from various places in the Flathead Valley depending on the location of the burn units and weather conditions. Each project follows a prescribed fire burn plan. The prescribed fire projects are located and designed to be controlled to reduce the potential for adverse effects, or to escape as a wildland fire. These projects will follow Montana air quality standards...
SWAN VALLEY - Kurt Steele, Flathead National Forest Supervisor, decided to extend the comment period for the Holland Lake Lodge Expansion Project until Oct. 7 and offer an additional public meeting in Seeley Lake Oct. 4. “We had a well-attended public meeting last week and have received a lot of comments to date on this project,” said Steele. “The comments so far have made it clear to me that there is a lot of confusion surrounding the process and potential use of a categorical exclusion. I would like to make it clear that the use of a categ...
SWAN VALLEY - The Flathead National Forest is planning to conduct spring prescribed fire projects when weather, fuel conditions and air quality become favorable. Smoke will be visible from various places in the Swan Valley depending on the location of the burn units and weather conditions. Each project follows a Prescribed Fire Burn Plan. The prescribed fire projects are located and designed to be controlled to reduce the potential for adverse effects or to escape as a wildland fire. These projects follow Montana air quality standards and are...
KALISPELL – Flathead National Forest Supervisor Kurt Steele released a draft record of decision (ROD) and final environmental impact statement (EIS) on a 174,000-acre forest restoration project in Swan Valley. The final EIS evaluates and discloses the predicted environmental effects of the Mid-Swan Landscape Restoration and Wildland Urban Interface Project. Through this project, the Forest Service is proposing to: treat vegetation; use prescribed fire; restore whitebark pine and western white pine; decommission, store and improve existing F...
KALISPELL - Interagency fire managers agreed to implement Stage II Fire Restrictions effective Monday, July 26 across the Flathead National Forest, Glacier National Park, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks sites, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Kalispell, Stillwater and Swan Units and Flathead County. The intent of Fire Restrictions is to reduce fire risk and prevent wildfires during periods of high to extreme danger by decreasing potential sources of ignition. Each year,...
Christmas tree permits from local National Forests are now available to purchase online through Recreation.gov. Details about designated cutting areas, dates and types of trees that may be cut may be found on Recreation.gov or visit the National Forest webpage where the trees will be harvested. The Forest Service decided to move permit sales to Recreation.gov as an added convenience for visitors, as well as to provide an alternative to in-person transactions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To purchase a Christmas tree permit, search for Lolo or...
SWAN VALLEY - Flathead National Forest staff and concessionaires are preparing campgrounds and other recreation sites to close or move to primitive status for the winter season. Many campgrounds are available for primitive camping in the off-season, meaning that campsites are not regularly maintained, toilets may be closed and potable water systems are shut off. Dispersed camping in non-developed campground areas is also available in the off-season. People should rely on Motor Vehicle Use Maps to identify appropriate dispersed camping areas....
SWAN VALLEY - The Flathead National Forest is planning to conduct fall prescribed fire projects on the Swan Lake, Hungry Horse/Glacier View Ranger, Tally Lake and Spotted Bear Ranger Districts when weather, fuel conditions and air quality become favorable. Smoke will be visible from various places in the Flathead Valley depending on the location of the burn units and weather conditions. Each project follows a Prescribed Fire Burn Plan. The prescribed fire projects are located and designed to be controlled to reduce the potential for adverse...
SWAN VALLEY - The Flathead National Forest is seeking public input on a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a 174,000 acre landscape level project to restore forest conditions and reduce fuels in Swan Valley. The purpose of the Mid-Swan Landscape Restoration and Wildland Urban Interface Project (Mid-Swan Project) is two-fold: to restore and maintain key habitat for plant and animal species in light of a changing climate, and to reduce the risk of extreme wildfire adjacent to local communities. “The project is anchored in the e...
SWAN VALLEY - Flathead National Forest firefighters are working on suppressing a fire in a remote area of the Swan Mountain Range. The Lion Creek Fire was reported Tuesday, Aug. 11, burning in heavy fuels on steep slopes. The lightning caused fire was 110 acres as of Monday, Aug. 17. With the hotter, drier weather, fire managers expect to see more active fire behavior in the coming days. The fire is burning approximately one mile outside the Bob Marshall Wilderness and four miles from other land ownership (DNRC). At 10:50 a.m. Aug. 11, a...
KALISPELL – USDA Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen recently honored The Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation, the nonprofit partner that coordinates with the Forest Service in stewardship of the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, with the Chief’s 2019 “Enduring Service” award. In total, more than 73 nominations in five categories were considered nationally for the 2019 USDA Forest Service Volunteer and Service Award that recognizes public contributions to citizen stewardship & partnerships, cultural diversity, enduring service, and leaders...
KALISPELL - Last month, the Flathead County Resource Advisory Committee and USFS Northern Regional Office approved fee changes for 12 rental cabins and the Spotted Bear and Lindbergh Lake campgrounds in Flathead National Forest. The changes come as part of a regional effort to better align prices with the services and amenities the areas provide. Most existing rental fees at Flathead National Forest have not been changed for over 15 years, with some dating back to 1999. The public was first notified about this proposal in 2017 with an early opp...
SWAN VALLEY - In the last two weeks, Flathead National Forest and other local firefighting agencies have responded to multiple human-caused wildland fires across Flathead Valley. As part of Wildfire Awareness Month which occurs every year in May, the Forest is asking the public to take significant steps to reduce wildfire risks around their property and during recreation activities. Now more than ever, it is essential that everyone do their part to prevent human-caused wildfires and prepare their homes and property for the summer. “Many p...
SWAN VALLEY – Flathead National Forest and concessionaire Flathead Valley Campgrounds are working hard to open developed fee campgrounds over the next three weeks, with most sites anticipated to fully open by Memorial Day weekend. Rental cabin facilities will also begin a phased reopening, expected on or before Memorial Day weekend based on seasonal availability and facility conditions. Currently, dispersed camping is available in developed sites in many non-fee campgrounds. People should avoid dispersed camping in fee campgrounds due to a...
SWAN VALLEY - Flathead National Forest is planning spring prescribed fire projects when weather and air quality are favorable. People can expect to see smoke in various places in the Flathead Valley depending on burn locations and weather conditions. The Forest follows a prescribed burn plan for each project, designed to reduce the potential for an escaped wildland fire or other adverse effects like excessive smoke. Fire managers time the projects to comply with air quality standards and state and local regulations to reduce smoke impacts in...
KALISPELL – Fifteen rental cabins in Flathead National Forest have been closed indefinitely for the health and safety of visitors and staff. Developed campgrounds and most restroom facilities are also closed. Even though campgrounds are closed, boat launches associated with campgrounds remain open. Effective immediately, all Flathead National Forest rental cabins will be closed and unavailable to rent via Recreation.gov. Notifications to cabin renters will be made as soon as possible and refunds will be processed. On the Swan Lake Ranger D...
Personal firewood cutting will be free to the general public from April 1 through June 1, 2020, on the Lolo and Flathead National Forests. No permit will be required during this time. Woodcutters can take up to 12 cords of firewood for personal use. A cord is the amount of tightly piled wood in a stack four feet high by four feet wide by eight feet long. Personal use firewood cutting allows you to remove downed timber or to cut standing dead trees under most conditions on National Forests and...
KALISPELL - Snow and ice melt are creating muddy conditions on many National Forest roads. People planning on driving in the forest should use caution and plan on turning around if they find soft roads. Motorists may encounter roads that the forest has temporarily closed to prevent damage. It’s also important for people to use good judgment if they find an open road that seems too wet for travel. Traveling on soft roadbeds can lead to expensive repairs and longer-term closures to fix problems. This winter has been the third warmest on record i...
KALISPELL - Kurt Steele has been named forest supervisor for Flathead National Forest. He's expected to begin work in mid-February. Steele has been the deputy forest supervisor for the Nez-Perce Clearwater National Forests for the past three years. "I am very pleased to welcome Kurt to the Flathead National Forest," said Regional Forester Leanne Marten. "Kurt is a proven leader who welcomes new voices and diverse perspectives, and has dedicated his career to public service." In addition to his...
KALISPELL - Chip Weber, the Forest Supervisor for the Flathead National Forest, has announced his plans to retire Jan. 1, 2020 after a 33-year career that has taken him to four different regions of the Forest Service and seven different National Forests. He has served the Flathead National Forest for nine years during which time the Forest has been successful in meeting the multiple-use mission through an integrated program of work, community partnerships and the dedication of employees across the forest. “The Forest Service’s motto is ‘ca...
SWAN VALLEY – This fall the public will encounter Forest Service employees conducting interviews in developed and dispersed recreation sites and along Forest Service roads. They will be out in all types of weather conditions, wearing bright orange vests and be near a sign that says “Traffic Survey Ahead.” The National Visitor Use Monitoring (NVUM) survey is being conducted on the Flathead National Forest from October 2019 through Sept. 30, 2020. The information gathered is useful for forest planning as well as local community tourism plann...
SWAN VALLEY - The Swan Lake Ranger District of the Flathead National Forest will recondition existing Cold Lakes Road (FS No. 9599) by installing metal pipe and placing aggregate surfacing on the road. Work will continue the week of Sept. 23 and will impact access to the Cold Lakes Trailhead. The work is located west of the Condon Post Office. The length of road affected by the work of installing crushed aggregate is 1.5 miles on the Cold Lakes Road (FS Road No. 9599). Gravel for the project will be hauled from the Forest Service gravel pits...
SWAN VALLEY - The Flathead National Forest is planning to conduct fall prescribed fire projects, when weather, fuel conditions and air quality become favorable. Smoke will be visible from various places in the Flathead Valley depending on the location of the burn units and weather conditions. Each project follows a Prescribed Fire Burn Plan. The prescribed fire projects are located and designed to be controlled to reduce the potential for adverse effects or to escape as a wildland fire. These projects will follow Montana air quality standards a...
SWAN LAKE - The Swan Lake Ranger District of the Flathead National Forest is planning to conduct a prescribed fire in and adjacent to the Mission Mountains Wilderness west of Lindbergh Lake along Lindy Ridge when weather, fuel conditions and air quality become favorable. Smoke will be visible in the Swan Valley along the Highway 83 corridor as far south as Seeley Lake and as far north as Swan Lake. The objective of the prescribed fire is to treat 1,104 acres in and adjacent to the Mission Mountains Wilderness to reduce crown fire potential,...
