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Open house today on Kootenai Forest salvage
project |
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January 4, 2018 |
During the 2017 fire season, multiple wildfires
burned over 80,000 acres on the Kootenai
National Forest, affecting approximately 3.6
percent of the Forest's land base.
The West Fork Fire was ignited by lightening on
August 30, 2017, seven miles northwest of Libby
on the Forest's Libby Ranger District. Naturally
dry conditions were exacerbated by hot
temperatures and strong winds fueling the fire's
growth. The fire was contained on October 1,
2017, affecting approximately 21,800 acres
(about 17,700 acres of National Forest System
lands and 4,100 acres of private land).
The West Fork Fire burned with varying severity
and intensity. Approximately 32 percent of the
area within the fire perimeter burned at
moderate and high soil burn severities.
The purpose of the West Fork Fire Salvage and
Restoration Project is to remove hazard trees
affecting public health and safety along travel
routes and other areas considered for salvage,
restore portions of the landscape burned by the
wildfire by initiating reforestation, reduce
watershed impacts resulting from NFS roads and
unauthorized routes and recover forest economic
value and benefits through salvage, generating
revenues to support the accomplishment of
project objectives.
The scoping letter for the West Fork Salvage and
Restoration Project was released in December,
and public comments would be most useful by
January 18.
The District will be conducting an analysis of
potential environmental effects in the coming
months, and all comments received will be
considered.
An open house will be held today at the Kootenai
National Forest Supervisor's Office in Libby
from 6 to 8 p.m. and project team members will
be on hand to provide information and answer
questions regarding the proposed project.
The draft Environmental Assessment is scheduled
to be released in early May, after which another
30 day comment period will occur. The Libby
Ranger District welcomes all input into the
development of this project during the formal
comment periods, at the open house, or in
person.
Maps and materials are also available on the
project website by
clicking here.
For more information about this project, contact
Project Team Leader Katie Van Alstyne at (406)
303-0269, or Libby District Ranger Nate Gassman
at (406) 2893-7598. |
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