Mike Ebinger, a Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks wildlife biologist, explaining the importance of browsing plants. The dense forest being discussed for treatment is in the background. (L-R) Randy Arnold FWP Region 2 Supervisor, Jeff Darrah Stevensville, Allen Bard, Ovando.
Jason Parke describes the "ICO" individual clumps and openings thinning style that mimics low-density forest fires. L-R Tony Liane, retired Champion Timber and past DNRC Area Manager, Jason Parke, FWP Forester, Barb McNally, adjacent landowner, Ovando.
Meeting under the Boot Tree outside of Ovando, tour participants looked through a forest managed for health and wildlife habitat on the Blackfoot Community Conservation Area.
Abundant grass grew amongst trees with up to six foot diameter trunks and visibility up to 100 yards. Soon the tour caravaned to the perimeter of the Type One treatment unit. Visibility through the forest was limited at the edge of the road as the sunlight was strangled by a dense screen of ladder fuels.
As part of the proposed Doney Lake Forest Habitat Improvement Project, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks staff conducted a public field tour of the Ovando Mountain unit on the Blackfoot-Clearwater Wildlife Management Area (WMA) on Tuesday, Aug. 29.
The tour displayed forest treatment plans for selective logging of nearly 1,500 acres in the 6,700 acre Ovando Mountain Wildlife Management Area (OMWMA) to provide forested habitat improvement for wildlife.
The 23 tour participants included representatives from Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC), Pyramid Mountain Lumber, The Nature Conservancy, adjoining landowners, retired foresters, Montana Sportsman groups and local sportsmen. The tour was developed in response to over 40 public comments received during the public comment period this spring.
"This area was noted as a priority area in the Forest Habitat Improvement Plan written in 2009," said Jason Parke of FWP. "Developing a treatment plan for this portion of the Ovando Mountain WMA agrees with that forest management plan."
FWP is developing a draft supplemental Environmental Assessment that will be published on FWP's website this fall at fwp.mt.gov/news/public-notices for a 30-day public comment period.
Forest succession in the project area has significantly decreased the extent and productivity of browse species in the unit over the past 60 years, according to a 2002 study of the Ovando Mountain WMA unit. Over the years the area has shifted from productive to moderate winter range for elk, mule deer and white-tailed deer.
"Natural fire would have passed through this area every 25-50 years," Parke said. "Fires naturally manage the undergrowth allowing for natural shrub and understory regeneration while eliminating ladder fuels that lead to catastrophic fire spread."
The proposed logging plan is to mimic the effects of natural fire in the two project types. This is done with an "Individual Clumps and Openings," or the ICO system.
ICO mimics the jumping and skipping behavior of a forest fire. Clumps of 3 – 10 trees with accompanying understory would be left randomly through the area, leaving both winding open spaces through areas with large trees left and clumps of trees and understory for protection for small mammals, birds, and browse feed for deer, moose and elk.
Tour participants explored parts of the lower project area, called Type 1 Stand, noting the density of trees marked to be left standing, avoiding branches and deadfall to the crunch of the thick pine needle duff underfoot.
"Current forest density is providing the scenario for increased tree mortality from insects and Amarilla root rot," said Mike Ebinger, local FWP wildlife biologist. "We are seeing the degradation of browsing varieties for wildlife."
On the hot day, no sunlight reached the forest floor, providing shade, but also eliminating any growth of grass for feed for elk, who base their diet on about 50% grasses, according to Ebinger.
"I came on the tour to learn more about forest management," said Jeff Darrah, a retired game warden from Stevensville. "I can see that forest management is two-fold, reducing fuel loads and providing for better forage."
The Type 1 area is predominately trees 6" diameter or less at a density of 2,000 trees/acre. The area has mainly western larch, lodgepole pine and douglas fir. The Type 2 upper treatment zone is predominantly 18" diameter trees or less, with some trees up to 30" diameter at a density of 35 trees/acre.
"The goal is to go from the current tree density of up to 2,000 trees/acre in the lower area(Type One) to 200-600 trees/acre," Parke said. "Less density will allow ponderosa and western larch which are fire resistant, to grow to 100's of years old and contribute to healthy forest regrowth."
Project goals listed in the distributed pamphlet would retain healthy western larch and ponderosa pine, create openings within 100' of existing aspen clones, leave snags over 16" diameter and accompanying understory for cavity nesting birds and leave trees intact with visible nesting cavities.
"Woody debris will be left on the forest floor at a density of 5-10 tons/acre," Parke said. "This is equivalent to about half of a logging truck load over an acre of forest floor to leave shelter for small mammals."
Irregular thickets of small trees and shrubs will be left, as well as partially decayed logs and small downed trees to provide habitat to upland game birds, furbearer, and non-game species. This provides shelter from predators.
The existing infrastructure of closed roads on the WMA will provide access to most of the treatment units, according to the tour pamphlet. Approximately 0.3 miles of new road will be constructed.
Roads used during the logging operation will be either gated or barricaded to prevent motorized access once logging operations are completed. Illegal road use will be monitored with trail cameras.
The proposed project meets long-term management plans for the Blackfoot Clearwater Wildlife Management Area to manage for maximum sustainable utilization of winter range by elk, mule deer and white-tailed deer. In addition, habitat improvements would provide benefits for moose, black and grizzly bear, mountain lion, gray wolf, mountain grouse and numerous fur bearing species.
Trapping, hunting, and wildlife viewing opportunities for these species are an important aspect of the local community and are responsible for thousands of user-days on the BCWMA, says FWP. Nearly 200 wildlife species were documented on the BCWMA in the 1990s (a checklist is available from the FWP's Region 2 headquarters.)
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