Update

Sadly this project was approved by the Fish and Wildlife Commission. Members of the public were unable to comment at the meeting because they ran over 2 hours ahead of schedule. So the decision had been made before commenters arrived on the zoom call.

Friends of the Bitterroot wrote a letter to the commission asking them to delay their decision until the public had a chance to comment. They did not answer our letter. As far as we know, project activities have not commenced. Let us know if you see anything out there, take lots of pictures and send them our way.

Calf Creek Wildlife Management Timber Sale

Comments Due April 30th

Please submit comments by email to shrose@mt.gov

Don't forget to put "Comments on Calf Creek" in the subject line.

 

Fish Wildlife and Parks is proposing re-blading roads in Calf Creek and cutting much of the remaining timber. We would like to instead see a comprehensive weed management program with bio-controls and trail rehabilitation where needed.

Suggested Talking Points:

It is best to take these ideas and put them in your own words. Also, if you regularly enjoy the Calf Creek area, let FWP know how important the area is to you and why.

The Calf Creek Wildlife Management Area (WMA) proposal calls for commercial thinning and prescribed burning to improve forage. The commercial aspect of the project will require re-opening the old, revegetated roads that have become single-track trails so they can haul the logs out on trucks.

  • Commercial thinning will require “re-opening” of 10.4 miles of roads to haul logs.
    • Many of these revegetated roads provide popular, shady, single and double track trails for hikers, bikers and horseback riders.
    • Log trucks will disturb wildlife.
    • Half the project area drains into Willow Creek. Log hauling and road re-opening could add sediment to this already sediment impaired bull trout fishery
  • Recommend only non-commercial treatment: non-commercial work could meet project objectives without increasing weeds, disturbing wildlife, and turning popular trails into dusty roads.
  • Do not use machines in the Calf Creek WMA
    • 1100 acres (almost 2 square miles) of thinning “could potentially” be done with big machines like feller-bunchers and masticators.
    • Machines used will crush sagebrush and disturb the soil making it susceptible to weed invasion.
    • Areas proposed for mechanical thinning do not have as much knapweed as the big open areas. Mechanical thinning will bring in more knapweed.
    • Machines will disturb and displace wildlife.
    • Commercial thinning to improve forage is unproven.
  • 400 acres will be thinned and then burned
    • Studies show that thinning and burning practices increase invasive weeds more than any other activity.
    • Spring burning disturbs ground nesting birds
    • Spring burning kills native grass forbs
  • Knapweed should be controlled before considering ground disturbing management activities.
    • Analyze biocontrol existence and prevalence and add more where insufficient or absent.
  • The areas winter forage should be surveyed and analysis completed on the effects of mechanized thinning and burning on all big game winter food sources.
  • Cumulative effects of neighboring 55,000 acre Gold Butterfly project must be analyzed before this project moves forward.
  • Intact forests are our best defense against climate change.

Fish Wildlife and Parks is proposing re-blading roads in Calf Creek and cutting much of the remaining timber. We would like to instead see a comprehensive weed management program with bio-controls and a trail maintenance program.

The new comment deadline is proposed for April 30th

A field trip is planned for April 16th at 10 am

Here is the link to the announcement and details of field trip

We will post more info when it becomes available from FWP

Here are a few links for more info:

This link is the first request for comments... comment period has been extended because the area has been closed to the public.

This is a link to the Draft EA for the project

Here are a few maps provided