Forest Watch
If you have any questions or would like to participate in the Community Forest Watch Program, please contact Randy at beachamphoto@yahoo.com or call 406-295-9320.
2009 and 2010 has and will be a busy time for our Forest Watch Program, whose priorities can be summed up in two words: meetings and monitoring. We have taken a leadership role in collaborative work via the Kootenai Forest Stakeholders Coalition (KFSC), a diverse mix of people committed to having a voice in management of the Kootenai National Forest here in Lincoln County. Our Forest Watch Coordinator is the team leader for the Three Rivers District team, and is an active participant in the Rexford District team; our executive director co-chairs the board. The coalition seeks to reach consensus support of management projects that can benefit both the forest and the human community. The primary focus of KFSC this year has been on the following two projects.
GRIZZLY VEGETATION AND TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT PROJECT
The Grizzly Management project area is approximately 44,400 acres and is bordered on the west and north by the Yaak River, south by Roderick Mountain and east by the Sheepherder-Roderick Butte ridge.
Our focus concerning this project since first initiated in 2006 has been on how management activities will impact the population of grizzly bears that use the area. Some of the concerns we had during the development of the project included proposed regeneration harvest adjacent to the Roderick Mountain Roadless Area, disturbance to bears caused by activities including road decommissioning of old roads that are currently impassable as well as the use of helicopters, and maintaining wildlife movement corridors in the project area.
The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the project was released in April 2009. Based on our input the FEIS was adjusted to reflect some of our concerns. Changes included less harvest along Burnt Dutch Road #472, elimination of helicopter units adjacent to the Roderick IRA, and more winter harvest while bears are denning. While we are pleased to see these adjustments we still have some concerns, including harvest in a wildlife movement corridor at the summit of the Burnt Dutch Road. Implementation of this project is beginning in 2010 and we will be actively monitoring the project as it’s carried out.
ROCKY PINE
This project , which gained the approval of KFSC, will primarily involve thinning of second growth forest in the wildland-urban interface (defined as National Forest land within two miles of private land) of Pine Creek, Rocky Draw, Curley Creek and the lower Yaak River. This drier habitat is at increased risk of severe wildfire as a result of both past clearcut logging and fire suppression. While YVFC supports the project, we also recognize the challenges involved in reducing the threat of wildfire while simultaneously maintaining wildlife corridors and winter range functions, and preventing weed infestations and increased off-road motorized travel—concerns also expressed by local residents.
Unfortunately this important restoration project is on hold until at least 2011 due to low market conditions. When activity begins we will be actively monitoring the project.
YOUNG DODGE
A much more controversial project than Rocky Pine, the Rexford District’s Young Dodge is much larger in scale, encompassing lands within and outside the wildland-urban interface area of the West Kootenai community. The District proposes to create large openings--100 to 400 acres in size—in the forest which will purportedly emulate historically severe wildfire patterns. The problem—and the reason the project has yet to receive the support of KFSC—is that the combination of the proposed large openings along with the cumulative effects of decades of intensive management would be strongly detrimental to wildlife that depend on mature forest habitat. Despite lack of support from KFSC, the Rexford Ranger District released the Record of Decision for the project as originally proposed. However, as a result of an appeal by the Lands Council, Region One ordered the district to reanalyze the project relative to its effects on the northern goshawk. Subsequently, the District has expressed a willingness to amend the project based on KFSC input. One positive result of this long and, at times, frustrating process has been the incorporation into the project of research and input from Rocky Mountain Research Station’s Dr. Terrie Jain, who designs treatments that replicate less severe wildfire patterns, with smaller openings representing a mosaic of forest habitats.
The Rexford District plans on releasing a new supplemental EIS for the Young Dodge project in May, 2010. Once that occurs we will be analyzing what changes have been made based on our previous input.
GARVER
The majority of our summer field work involved weed surveys of areas treated in the Garver project in the upper Yaak Valley. During Garver’s design phase in 2002 YVFC voiced concerns regarding potential weed infestations–primarily orange and meadow hawkweed--into proposed logging units from roads and formerly logged areas adjacent to some units. Though Three Rivers worked with us to include extra mitigation measures, ultimately, due to lack of funding and manpower, the District has not implemented much of the mitigation work. Our surveys sought to assess the location and extent of weed proliferation over the past five years. Additionally, we have been sharing our survey information with the Three Rivers District so they can prioritize weed treatments in the future. This information is still being compiled and analyzed, and when completed will, we hope, contribute to better design of future projects.
NE YAAK
Monitoring of work completed on the NE Yaak Project was interrupted by the onset of winter weather, and will continue in spring. As with other recent projects in Three Rivers, we are encouraged at the increased preference for thinning units over clearcuts; however, we remain concerned about excessive ground disturbance in some units.
OLD GROWTH RESEARCH
During 2008 our Forest Watch program assisted the Rocky Mountain Research Station and the Kootenai National Forest in an old growth fire mortality study seeking to determine whether the duff buildup resulting from decades of fire suppression contributes to large tree mortality from prescribed burns, and if so, what treatments might reduce this mortality. YVFC helped with field and lab work, in addition to photo documentation. The research was conducted in an old growth ponderosa stand near Libby, and two larch stands in the Blacktail and Vinal areas in the Yaak.
FOREST PLAN REVISION
Remember the Forest Plan Revision? Over the past couple of years its process has stalled due to lawsuits which the Kootenai N.F. hopes will be settled in 2009, at which time they will revive their planning procedure. At that time we will give you more details, and once again ask that you urge the KNF to manage roadless areas in the Yaak such as Roderick and NW Peaks as recommended wilderness areas.
2009 and 2010 has and will be a busy time for our Forest Watch Program, whose priorities can be summed up in two words: meetings and monitoring. We have taken a leadership role in collaborative work via the Kootenai Forest Stakeholders Coalition (KFSC), a diverse mix of people committed to having a voice in management of the Kootenai National Forest here in Lincoln County. Our Forest Watch Coordinator is the team leader for the Three Rivers District team, and is an active participant in the Rexford District team; our executive director co-chairs the board. The coalition seeks to reach consensus support of management projects that can benefit both the forest and the human community. The primary focus of KFSC this year has been on the following two projects.
GRIZZLY VEGETATION AND TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT PROJECT
The Grizzly Management project area is approximately 44,400 acres and is bordered on the west and north by the Yaak River, south by Roderick Mountain and east by the Sheepherder-Roderick Butte ridge.
Our focus concerning this project since first initiated in 2006 has been on how management activities will impact the population of grizzly bears that use the area. Some of the concerns we had during the development of the project included proposed regeneration harvest adjacent to the Roderick Mountain Roadless Area, disturbance to bears caused by activities including road decommissioning of old roads that are currently impassable as well as the use of helicopters, and maintaining wildlife movement corridors in the project area.
The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the project was released in April 2009. Based on our input the FEIS was adjusted to reflect some of our concerns. Changes included less harvest along Burnt Dutch Road #472, elimination of helicopter units adjacent to the Roderick IRA, and more winter harvest while bears are denning. While we are pleased to see these adjustments we still have some concerns, including harvest in a wildlife movement corridor at the summit of the Burnt Dutch Road. Implementation of this project is beginning in 2010 and we will be actively monitoring the project as it’s carried out.
ROCKY PINE
This project , which gained the approval of KFSC, will primarily involve thinning of second growth forest in the wildland-urban interface (defined as National Forest land within two miles of private land) of Pine Creek, Rocky Draw, Curley Creek and the lower Yaak River. This drier habitat is at increased risk of severe wildfire as a result of both past clearcut logging and fire suppression. While YVFC supports the project, we also recognize the challenges involved in reducing the threat of wildfire while simultaneously maintaining wildlife corridors and winter range functions, and preventing weed infestations and increased off-road motorized travel—concerns also expressed by local residents.
Unfortunately this important restoration project is on hold until at least 2011 due to low market conditions. When activity begins we will be actively monitoring the project.
YOUNG DODGE
The Young Dodge project area, showing past clearcuts and resulting forest fragmentation.
Proposed unit 21 in the Young Dodge project, a winter range area for elk and deer that the Yaak Valley Forest Council is advocating as a thinning unit rather than the regeneration harvest as proposed.
A much more controversial project than Rocky Pine, the Rexford District’s Young Dodge is much larger in scale, encompassing lands within and outside the wildland-urban interface area of the West Kootenai community. The District proposes to create large openings--100 to 400 acres in size—in the forest which will purportedly emulate historically severe wildfire patterns. The problem—and the reason the project has yet to receive the support of KFSC—is that the combination of the proposed large openings along with the cumulative effects of decades of intensive management would be strongly detrimental to wildlife that depend on mature forest habitat. Despite lack of support from KFSC, the Rexford Ranger District released the Record of Decision for the project as originally proposed. However, as a result of an appeal by the Lands Council, Region One ordered the district to reanalyze the project relative to its effects on the northern goshawk. Subsequently, the District has expressed a willingness to amend the project based on KFSC input. One positive result of this long and, at times, frustrating process has been the incorporation into the project of research and input from Rocky Mountain Research Station’s Dr. Terrie Jain, who designs treatments that replicate less severe wildfire patterns, with smaller openings representing a mosaic of forest habitats.
The Rexford District plans on releasing a new supplemental EIS for the Young Dodge project in May, 2010. Once that occurs we will be analyzing what changes have been made based on our previous input.
GARVER
Hawkweed infestation after regeneration harvest unit in the Garver project.
The majority of our summer field work involved weed surveys of areas treated in the Garver project in the upper Yaak Valley. During Garver’s design phase in 2002 YVFC voiced concerns regarding potential weed infestations–primarily orange and meadow hawkweed--into proposed logging units from roads and formerly logged areas adjacent to some units. Though Three Rivers worked with us to include extra mitigation measures, ultimately, due to lack of funding and manpower, the District has not implemented much of the mitigation work. Our surveys sought to assess the location and extent of weed proliferation over the past five years. Additionally, we have been sharing our survey information with the Three Rivers District so they can prioritize weed treatments in the future. This information is still being compiled and analyzed, and when completed will, we hope, contribute to better design of future projects.
NE YAAK
Unit 100 in the NE Yaak project, showing ground disturbance from scoured skid trail and leave trees.
Unit 105 in the NE Yaak project, showing leave trees and minimal ground disturbance.
Monitoring of work completed on the NE Yaak Project was interrupted by the onset of winter weather, and will continue in spring. As with other recent projects in Three Rivers, we are encouraged at the increased preference for thinning units over clearcuts; however, we remain concerned about excessive ground disturbance in some units.
OLD GROWTH RESEARCH
During 2008 our Forest Watch program assisted the Rocky Mountain Research Station and the Kootenai National Forest in an old growth fire mortality study seeking to determine whether the duff buildup resulting from decades of fire suppression contributes to large tree mortality from prescribed burns, and if so, what treatments might reduce this mortality. YVFC helped with field and lab work, in addition to photo documentation. The research was conducted in an old growth ponderosa stand near Libby, and two larch stands in the Blacktail and Vinal areas in the Yaak.
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| Dr. Terrie Jain and Bob Denner with the Rocky Mountain Research Station and Mike Arvidson with the Kootenai National Forest locating trees for research in a larch old-growth forest in the Yaak Valley. | Ben Valentine with the Kootenai National Forest and Sue Janssen with the Yaak Valley Forest Council taking core samples of the soil to study before fire treatments. | |
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| Dr. Terrie Jain and the Kootenai National Forest fire crew performing prescribed fire in a old-growth ponderosa pine forest outside of Libby, MT | |
Introducing fire around ponderosa pine in order to reduce accumulated duff layers. |
FOREST PLAN REVISION
Remember the Forest Plan Revision? Over the past couple of years its process has stalled due to lawsuits which the Kootenai N.F. hopes will be settled in 2009, at which time they will revive their planning procedure. At that time we will give you more details, and once again ask that you urge the KNF to manage roadless areas in the Yaak such as Roderick and NW Peaks as recommended wilderness areas.
