Final forest draft: Plan calls for more logging, wilderness

By Nick Gevock of The Montana Standard - 02/05/2008

DILLON — Federal officials released a final management plan for the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest Monday that calls for 81,000 acres of additional wilderness areas over a draft plan released two years ago.

The final plan, a 1,400-page document that guides management of different areas within the forest, also adds 83,000 acres to the forest’s “suitable timber base,” a designation that targets those areas for logging. In total, the plan recommends to Congress that 329,000 acres be designated wilderness and 299,000 acres receive a designation as suitable timber base.

An additional 1.6 million acres is open to logging, although those lands aren’t managed primarily for timber harvest.

The wilderness recommendation was largely the result of what the public said through comments, as well as a review by forest officials of current use of those lands, said Jack deGolia, forest spokesman.

“It was based on how suitable we felt the areas would be for wilderness designation, given the See PLAN, Back Page Plan ...

Continued from Page A1 activities that were going on in them,” he said. The additional lands slated as recommended wilderness over the draft plan include Garfield Mountain near Lima, Stony in the Sapphire Mountains and Table Mountain in the Highland Mountains.

But the plan also left out large areas that were pushed as wilderness by a “partnership” of logging and conservation groups that came together to craft a proposal last year. The groups, which were led by Sun Mountain Lumber and the Montana Wilderness Association, asked that 529,000 acres of the forest be recommended for wilderness designation.

The most significant area the group asked for that was left out included the West Big Hole.

The Snowcrest Mountains in Madison County were included, despite strong opposition from county commissioners there.

“We’ve argued against the Snowcrest from day one,” Commissioner Dave Schulz said Monday.

Beaverhead County Commissioner Garth Haugland said he would work to get portions of the Pioneer Mountains that are recommended for wilderness removed as well. He said in meetings near Wise River, the opposition from local residents was nearly unanimous.

Tim Baker, MWA executive director, said his organization had just received the proposal and was still reviewing it. But he said regardless of what the plan recommends, the partnership would continue to push for federal legislation that would designate the 529,000 acres, as well as institute larger “stewardship” projects that would enhance habitat and provide for more logging.

The final plan also makes restoration of 71 damaged watersheds a key priority. It calls for restoration of aspen trees on 67,000 acres, removing conifer trees from creek bottoms on 74,000 acres and other measures such as rerouting roads.

Those efforts to improve watersheds are aimed at helping a couple species of fish that are struggling, deGolia said. “We’ve got bull trout on the west side of the divide and westslope cutthroat is on the east side of the divide,” he said. “We’re at the top of the water system, so the emphasis is on taking care of those values.” The plan also puts an emphasis on stewardship contracting to improve habitat in many areas, including areas near developments where the risk of wildfire to homes is high.

“Our main fuel reduction and timber harvest is going to be in the Butte and Deerlodge areas,” he said. “We’ve got homes near the forest boundary and insect activity that has been kicking in for years now.” A 45-day comment period will kick off from the day the plan is published in the federal register, which deGolia said could come as early as Feb. 15. Individuals or groups that commented on the plan can appeal it.

Comments on the plan can be sent via email to on comments-northern-beaverhead-deerlodge@fs.fed.us or by mail to Forest Plan Comments, Forest Service, 420 Barrett Street, Dillon, MT 59725.

Reporter Nick Gevock may be reached at nick.gevock@mtstandard.com