SEELEY LAKE & Swan Valley – Ranger Districts on the Lolo and Flathead National Forests are planning to conduct multiple fall season prescribed fire projects, when weather, fuel conditions and air quality is favorable. Burning is expected to start as early as Sept. 16 and will continue through the close of open burning season Nov. 30. 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, designed and controlled to reduce the potential for adverse effects or escape as a wildland fire. These projects will be in compliance with Montana air quality standards and coordinated with Montana State Department of Environmental Quality to reduce the impacts of smoke to our neighbors, cooperators and surrounding communities.
Seeley Lake Ranger District project areas include:
• Horseshoe West Area – This project includes underburning timber stands located within the Drew Creek drainage. These treatments will use prescribed fire for fuels reduction, vegetation regeneration and wildlife habitat improvement.
• Colt Summit – This project includes underburning timber stands located within the vicinity of Summit Lake. These treatments will use prescribed fire for fuels reduction, vegetation regeneration and wildlife habitat improvement.
• Auggie Creek – This project includes broadcast and underburning in stands located between the Auggie Creek and the Seeley Creek drainages. These treatments will use prescribed fire for fuels reduction, vegetation regeneration and wildlife habitat improvement.
• Mountain Creek – This project includes broadcast and underburning in stands located within the Cotton Wood Creek drainage. These treatments will use prescribed fire for fuels reduction, vegetation regeneration and wildlife habitat improvement
• Pile Burning – Hand or machine piles are located in several locations within the project areas in the Seeley Lake valley as a result of but not limited to: logging, hazardous fuels reduction in the wildland urban interface, hazard tree removal and trail or road construction. These piles are burned to reduce the fuel loads in these areas. These piles are strategically burned based on their location, access and weather conditions.
For more information about these projects, contact the Seeley Lake Ranger District 406-677-2233.
Swan Lake Ranger District project areas include:
• Wild Cramer - This project includes broadcast and under burning in stands located within the Blacktail Mountain area west of Lakeside, Mont. These treatments will use prescribed fire for fuels reduction, vegetation regeneration and wildlife habitat improvement.
• Condon Fuels – This project includes broadcast burning in timber stands located within the Condon Fuels project area around Condon in the Swan Valley. These treatments will use prescribed fire for fuels reduction, vegetation regeneration and wildlife habitat improvement.
• Pile Burning – Hand or machine piles are located in several locations within the Swan Valley, Blacktail Mountain, Haskill Mountain and miscellaneous piles around the district as a result of but not limited to: logging, hazardous fuels reduction in the wildland urban interface, hazard tree removal, recreation site management and trail or road construction. These piles are burned to reduce fuel loads in these areas. These piles are strategically burned based on their location, access and weather conditions.
For more information about these projects or others being conducted on the FNF contact the appropriate Ranger Station: Swan Lake Ranger District 406-837-7500.
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