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 coordinated with Montana State Department of Environmental Quality to reduce the impacts of smoke to our neighbors, cooperators and surrounding communities. The project areas on the Swan Lake Ranger District include:
Dewey and Louie Timber Sales - This project includes broadcast burning in timber harvest units located within the Blacktail Mountain area west of Lakeside and south of Kila. These treatments will use prescribed fire for fuels reduction, vegetation regeneration and wildlife habitat improvement.
How Now Timber Sale – This project includes broadcast burning in timber harvest units located on Sixmile Mountain, north of Swan Lake. These treatments will use prescribed fire for fuels reduction and vegetation regeneration.
Swan Valley Bottom Maintenance Burning – This project includes maintenance broadcast burning in previously treated timber harvest units located within the Swan Valley. These treatments will use prescribed fire for fuels reduction, large ungulate winter range improvement and improvement of forest health.
Swan Lake Ranger Station – This project includes underburning the administrative site at the Swan Lake Ranger District office located in Bigfork. These treatments will be used to rejuvenate the grass and reduce fuels.
Pile Burning - Hand or machine piles are located in locations within the Blacktail Mountain area, Swan Valley, Bigfork community 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, contact the Swan Lake Ranger District 406-837-7500.
For precise prescribed fire ignition dates and times, follow the Flathead National Forest on Facebook and Twitter. General forest information can be found online at http://www.fs.usda.gov/flathead.
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