Your comments are needed by April 6 on a logging project proposed all along the Swan Range from Columbia Falls to Swan Lake!
This “fuels reduction” logging and thinning will affect key wildlife habitats and favored recreation spots all along the Swan Range!
So please look closely at the detailed maps on the East Valley Project web page, in the Public Scoping folder, then submit your comments here by April 6!
Here are some suggested points to make, along with your personal comments about your favorite habitats for wildlife and people:
1. Thinning 2,541 acres of forest will allow more sunlight and wind to reach the forest floor, drying out the vegetation and increasing the rate at which fire spreads, according to Firesafe Montana and other research documents.
2. While you don’t intend to build any permanent new roads, you nonetheless propose to log and/or “reduce fuels” on 109 acres of Inventoried Roadless Area, 135 acres of streamside zones, and 12 acres of old growth forest. Standing and fallen wood, alive and dead, is critical to the function of forest ecosystems and the sequestration of carbon. It should not be removed under the guise of “fuels reduction.” Thank you for not proposing fuels reduction in the exceptional hemlock forests of Krause Basin!
3. Many of the roads to be used for the proposed thinning and logging are closed to motor vehicles and yet are routinely trespassed by them. Thinning trees increases the ease with which motor vehicles detour around road closure devices and should not occur in those areas. Furthermore, while you state logging use of these closed roads would likely occur “during the grizzly bear winter denning season,” you fail to use the shorter January 1 – February 15 denning dates determined by numerous grizzly bear experts and the U.S. District Court in Missoula.
4. Your proposed logging “would result in six new even age openings over 40 acres,” the maximum recommended by the National Forest Management Act. This would create large zero-age areas devoid of trees, unacceptably reduce essential hiding cover for wildlife, and create big eyesores on this scenic backdrop to the Flathead Valley!
5. Your intention to use a Categorical Exclusion from the preparation of an Environmental Assessment means “this would be the only comment period for the project,” even though your staff has yet to conduct “an analysis of potential environmental effects in the coming months.” Moreover, you would not allow the public to formally Object to any portion of the project. Please instead prepare an EA, if not an Environmental Impact Statement, under normal procedures so the public can read and comment on the environmental effects that you find and try to reach some common ground where there are disagreements.
If you would rather mail your comments, you can find the address on our initial comment letter and, if the comment submission form above fails to work for you, you can email your comments to Ranger Dowling here.
Our second comment letter provides more details and documentation to support the points made above and in our initial letter.
Thank you for taking a few moments by April 6 to let the Forest Service know your thoughts on its proposal - it looks like it may be your only chance!
