SEELEY LAKE - This past summer, the U.S. Forest Service's Northern Region experienced one of the hottest and driest fire seasons on record, with 36 fires that burned ~710,000 acres on National Forests in Montana and Northern Idaho, heavily impacting local communities and landscapes. As a result, recognizing the scope of the fires this year, Regional Forester Leanne Marten saw the need for an expedited approach focused on safety and formed a Regional Post-Fire Response Incident Management Team (IMT).
The Rice Ridge and Liberty Fires are among the fires being assessed by the IMT. At the Dec. 11 Seeley Lake Community Council meeting, Seeley Lake District Ranger Rachel Feigley shared where they are at with the deck sales, post-fire salvage and reforestation assessments.
Feigley said the District completed the assessment of the decked timber from the sheltered fuel breaks and other areas cut for fire suppression efforts. They estimated two million board feet was removed. Slightly more than half is merchantable timber. Euchre Mountain Lumber in Condon purchased the timber some of which is going to Pyramid Mountain Lumber, Weyerhaeuser and the pulp mill in Bonner.
"To have all that material removed, we have to do some fairly creative timing with our snowmobile trails," said Feigley. Feigley explained that nearly all of the Forest Service roads within the burned area turn to snowmobile trails Dec. 1, regardless of weather conditions per the Forest's Travel Management Plan.
Feigley is aware of the push to increase winter recreation to try to recoup some of the economic losses from the fire. "Having a lot of logging activity on those roads when we are trying to increase recreation didn't feel quite right to me."
The District worked with Euchre Mountain Lumber to coordinate the closures. They agreed that only one section of road would be shut down for a few weeks at a time. While there are currently no closures in place, decks still need to be hauled out of the Rice Ridge, Camp Creek and Sawyer Creek areas of the fire.
The Monture area will be mixed use. Those snowmobiling in the area need to be aware that there is logging activity occurring in the area but there will be no closures.
The purpose and need for the proposed salvage harvest is to recoup the economic loss of the timber, provide jobs and economic values for the communities where the fires occurred and to look at any reforestation or mitigation of rehabilitations where that occurred.
Field crews assessed the burn area using a large scale mapping effort employing GIS technology. Computerized evaluations were used to rapidly zero in on the areas with suitable timber volume and road access while accounting for physical conditions on the ground and existing management direction.
The crews excluded wilderness and other exclusion areas such as riparian corridors. They also eliminated areas where temporary roads would be needed in areas with slopes greater than 45 degrees. Feigley explained that roads built on slopes more that 45 degrees require engineering which takes more time to build.
"We don't want to spend a lot of money and investment on a burnt product but we want to get in there and do what we need to do if there is an opportunity there," said Feigley.
Now the assessment is looking at the biological considerations including: bull trout streams; areas where retardant was applied and adversely affected the area; Canada Lynx and grizzly bear habitat and impaired watersheds.
Feigley said there were cases where retardant was used that resulted in fish morality. "We are looking at where do we need to balance adding additional effects to what has already happened and minimize some of those effects," said Feigley.
The public scoping for the proposed salvage harvest is the next step in the National Environmental Protection Act process. Feigley anticipates the proposal will be out in the next couple weeks for the Rice Ridge Fire. The public will be allowed to comment on the proposal for 30 days. She said they are hoping to have a decision sometime next summer.
The Regional IMT slated 11 fires (see table page 10) for salvage projects. Three propose to salvage 250 acres or less. Environmental analysis will determine the final acreage available for salvage for the remaining eight fires.
Additionally, the Region will be requesting approval for Emergency Situation Determinations (ESD) for some of the areas. That would shorten the environmental analysis timeline and allow work on the ground to begin sooner. This removes the objection period with the intent to expedite the process.
Feigley said that they are still considering if Rice Ridge and the Liberty Fire would qualify for the ESD. The Forest is still not sure if they will be pursuing salvage logging on the Liberty Fire. Feigley explained the majority of the area burned was on The Nature Conservancy or State land. Depending on what the assessment shows for amount of accessible timber, it may not be worth the effort to pursue.
Council member Jack Greenwood expressed his concern that harvesting burned timber is time sensitive. He doesn't want to see the loss of resources that he witnessed following the Jocko Lakes Fire of 2007.
"The state got in and logged it. Plum Creek got in an logged it and the Forest Service studied it until the value was gone," said Greenwood. "It's a waste of a resource that could be used but in two years it will be useless."
Feigley responded that the ESD request is expected to go out in February and there would be a determination by June. They hope to have a decision by August so they can begin work.
"I'm assuming that they are going to request [the ESD] for Rice Ridge but it is up to the Regional Forester to make that request to the Chief [of the Forest Service] and it is up to the Chief to approve that," said Feigley.
Feigley said they are expecting summer and winter harvest opportunities. She also expects multiple sales because it is such a large area.
The IMT is also looking at reforestation in areas of suitable timber outlined in the National Forest Plan. The National Forest Management Act tasks the Forest with planting these areas if nature regeneration is not sufficient. Feigley said they are still assessing which areas may require planting and what species mix would be planted.
The bridge to Morrell Falls that burned in the Rice Ridge Fire has been assessed. They are still trying to determine what parts are salvageable.
"We will have to find some dollars to do the work on that new bridge to get it back to usable shape," said Feigley. "Then we will move forward with removing the old bridge and upgrading the road [work that was intended for this fall]."
The Northern Region is strategically focusing its efforts to maximize safety, minimize environmental impacts and use the available industry capacity to accomplish this work to benefit our communities and resources. Assessments are being conducted for reforestation needs at the same time for the health and productivity of these areas.
As exclaimed by Regional Forester Marten, "We are excited to have our local decision-makers on the Lolo, Kootenai, Helena-Lewis and Clark and the Beaverhead National Forests working with the Post Fire Response IMT to get this work done safely and quickly."
Detailed information about the Forest Service post-fire work can be found a http://www.fs.fed.us/r1
Reader Comments(0)