SWAN VALLEY - The Swan Valley Regional Planning Committee (SVRPC) met June 24 to revise the draft plan. They addressed sections of the Natural Resources and Environment Element. Changes were applied to sections pertaining to fencing, timber management and air quality. After consideration of submitted comments, some of Missoula attorney Colleen Dowdall’s edits were used as well as SVRPC member Dave Johnson’s additions and rewording.
The SVRPC agreed to take out the word stock to describe fencing. According to SVRPC member Dwayne Forder, there are many different kinds of fences, not just for stock including boundary, garden and yard. The committee agreed that what sort of fencing and for what purpose it is used is up to the landowner. However because of the number of wildlife in the valley and concern for their safety the committee wanted to recommend that “wildlife friendly” fencing be considered regardless of purpose.
There was also some discussion about downed barbed wire from old fencing being more detrimental to wildlife than someone’s fencing. SVRPC member Pat Sinz said that she has seen cut wildlife on her property from hidden barbed wire which she has since eliminated. SVRPC member Dwayne Forder encouraged the planning committee with the Swan Valley Community Council to put a program together to encourage the community to clean up old wire.
SVRPC members agreed with Johnson’s new title, “Future Forest Management,” for the Future Timber Harvests section. Johnson said that the text covers more than just harvesting timber. He said the section deals with the management of former Plum Creek Timber lands which can contribute to the valley’s economy.
The SVRPC added Johnson’s text that stated that the timber lands will need additional time to fully grow. The timber eventually will have pre-commercial and commercial thinning opportunities which will add some low volume harvest opportunities in the coming years.
In the air quality section of the draft, the committee voted to accept Dowdall’s edits which took out some unneeded wording that referred to the cause of smoke in the valley and a reference to Seeley Lake’s “stove buy back” program. Sinz said the buy back program was not pertinent information. Johnson disagreed with the draft’s text that read that the cause of smoke in the valley was due to the area’s population but instead is more to do with the geography of the area. The committee left text in the draft that referred to the Forest Service tracking particles in the air during wildfires. Also Missoula County does issue health advisories during wildfire and set restrictions on out door burning.
To view the draft plan, minutes and agendas of SVRPC meeting visit: http://missoulacounty.us/government/community-development/community-planning-services/projects/active-projects/swan-valley-plan-update
The next SVRPC meeting will be held July 13 at 7 p.m. in the Swan Valley Community Hall.
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