Comments sought on Swamp Eddy project

The Forest Service is asking for public feedback on the Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Swamp Eddy project located on the Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District, about five miles southwest of Plains. The project area, which encompasses approximately 28,000 acres, proposes to improve the forest health of the area by restoring vegetation conditions that are resilient to natural disturbances such as fire, insects and disease.

Additionally, the project supports the economic vitality of local communities, maintains a suitable transportation system to support long-term forest management, and improves resource conditions and public safety at a dispersed recreation site.

Originally introduced to the public in 2016, the project was put on hold due to the Sheep Gap Fire (2017) which burned approximately 55% of the project area. While salvage of fire-killed trees in the Sheep Gap Fire area is ongoing, the Swamp Eddy project aims to proactively address forest health needs within the unburned project area by reestablishing diversity of tree age, species and size class, and promoting native species such as Ponderosa Pine, Western Larch and Western White Pine. The project proposes to accomplish these treatments through a variety of methods including timber harvest, small-tree commercial thinning, non-commercial thinning, and prescribed burning.

“This project has been a few years in the making and we’re looking forward to being able to achieve better forest health, supply timber to our local mills, and provide a better recreation experience at one of the few places the public can access the Clark Fork River from the Lolo National Forest,” said Plains/Thompson Falls District Ranger Erin Carey. “We are interested in hearing what the public thinks about the Environmental Assessment.”

The project also proposes improvements to a dispersed recreation site at the mouth of Swamp Creek on the Clark Fork River in order to address resource concerns and to better accommodate public use of the area. Improvements proposed include improving road access, developing parking to protect the surrounding area from erosion and vegetation damage, developing walking trail opportunities, and installing a toilet to address sanitary waste concerns.

Comments may submitted electronically to [email protected], mailed to the Swamp Eddy Project Leader at P.O. Box 429, Plains, Montana 59859, or delivered in person to the Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District at 408 Clayton Street, Plains, MT 59859.

To learn more about the project, visit the Lolo National Forest website at ww.fs.usda.gov/projects/lolo/landmanagement/projects, or call the Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District at (406) 826-3821.