Tour examines forest projects

Community leaders and timber representatives met last week to review projects in the Thompson Falls area.

The tour was led by the Eastern Sanders County Collaborative (ESCC), formerly the Sanders County Collaborative. The collaborative recently changed their structure to focus on public lands in Eastern Sanders County. District Ranger Dave Wrobleski of the Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District said the ESCC has a diverse group of interests who come up with projects and meet the needs of the public while working with the county and forest agencies.

The ESCC represents "a diverse group of citizens engaged in learning and offering suggestions on natural resources management on public lands located within Montana with a primary focus on Eastern Sanders County and the Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District," the group's proposed charter reads. Any interested citizen may join the group.

About a dozen residents and local representatives of agencies including the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Department of Natural Resource and Conservation toured the Forest Service's mule pasture trail site in Thompson Falls, as well as the Wilkes-Cherry Creek timber sale site and other sites along Prospect Creek Road.

District Ranger Dave Wrobleski of the Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District said the mule pasture trail system is the highest use trail in the district. "We're really lucky to have this," said Zach Whipple-Kilmer, who is co-chairperson of the ESCC with Cody Daiutolo, a forester with Thompson River Lumber (TRL).

USFS is planning a small timber sale at the mule pasture to both clean up trees that blew down in the January 2021 windstorm that ripped through the area, as well as remove some dead trees. The project is currently being reviewed by the regional forester, then will go out to bid. The timber sale will also include trees removed as part of NorthWestern Energy's recent work along the power line near the mule pasture. Phil Colyer with USFS said the goal of the mule pasture project is to get rid of dead and down trees, including those that are beetle infested. He showed examples of trees infested with Western Pine Beetles throughout the trail system, explaining that the beetles can build up strength in the dead trees and then move on to live trees. The mule pasture project also includes hazard trees that are leaning significantly.

Long-term, Colyer said that the forest at the mule pasture is a little dense, putting it at risk for additional beetle issues. The Forest Service's goal, Wrobleski added, is to keep the mule pasture, which is just under 250 acres, beautiful for recreational use. Heather Berman, the local Recreation Manager for the Forest Service, said USFS will be working with the community to look at possible recreation plans for the mule pasture site, including the former tree farm area. Berman said they are working with Sanders County Community Development on a survey to find out what the community would like to see done at the mule pasture, then will accept proposals for projects. "We want to see what the community wants and find a way to utilize the land better for the community," she said.

Community members expressed frustration with the cleanup from the January 2021 windstorm taking so long. Forest Service representatives said that with limited staff, the small size of the project and a heavy wildfire season last year, the mule pasture cleanup was not completed last year.

After the tour, Daiutolo said there's an opportunity for SCC as well as the community to provide input on the Wilkes-Cherry project. USFS is looking at potential campsites, parking, prescribed burning and other improvements in the project area, and will look for input on the future needs of the Prospect area as tourism increases. Daiutolo said SCC is still working to determine the goals and vision of the group. For more information on SCC, email [email protected].