2000 acres of commercial logging in a 2300 acre project area between Trapper Creek and Soda Springs Creek

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Or send your comment in an e-mail to District Ranger Dan Pliley:  daniel.pliley@usda.gov

You are welcome to use these talking points. Please put them in your own words and tell the Bitterroot National Forest why this area is important to you.

• This project was not sufficiently advertised to the public that has asked to be kept informed of projects in this area. No announcement was sent through the RSS feed.
• The CE uses condition based management which reveals no site specific information to the public until after the Decision is signed. The scoping information does not invite the public to give feedback during implementation planning when site specific information should be available.
• Site specific, on the ground analysis must happen before the comment period so that the public fully understands the project and can provide meaningful comment.
• The presence of critical habitat, endangered species, and valuable old growth and wetlands are extraordinary circumstances. A categorical exclusion should not be used.
• The new Forest Plan Amendments will allow the project to commercially log old growth and mature forests in the area. Project documents state, “Overstory tree retention would be variable but largely only scattered trees would remain in the overstory.” This will reduce if not abolish functioning old growth and eliminate future generations of old growth. No ground disturbance should be allowed in old growth and mature stands.
• Ground disturbance and log hauling from the project will be detrimental to endangered species like grizzly bears, wolverine, and bull trout.
• The project will be detrimental to bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout.
• The project does not qualify as a linear fuel break under this categorical exclusion (CE). It follows switchbacks, making the fuelbreak much wider than 1000 feet.
• Leaving sparse trees near roads will allow for increased illegal motorized use both summer and winter affecting wildlife and the forest ecosystem.
• The project does not consider the loss of carbon storage from logging large trees and the carbon emissions from logging and hauling operations. These must be disclosed.
• The project does not analyze the efficacy of fuelbreaks, how long they last, and the chances of their encountering a wildfire.
• How often will this need to be maintained? How will that effect soils, watersheds, and wildlife?