Road closures narrowed

Agreement could limit access to 54 miles of wilderness area

Outdoor enthusiasts could see as much as 54 miles of national forest system roads in Lincoln and Sanders counties closed during the eight years of implementation of the Grizzly Bear Access Amendment, Kootenai National Forest Supervisor Paul Bradford told Lincoln County Commissioners during Wednesday’s meeting.

Addressing the commissioners during his monthly appearance, Bradford offered a litany of pending issues in which Montanans are affected by grizzly bear issues.

“We have a series of things to talk about. A list of things to talk about involving grizzly bears,” Bradford began.

Bradford started his presentation talking about the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee meeting recently in Missoula in which he made a presentation on behalf of the Selkirk-Cabinet-Yaak Subcommittee.

“I heard you did a good job with that presentation,” Commissioner Tony Berget said.

Bradford said he stressed the importance of the Lincoln County-sponsored Grizzly Bear DNA Study for the Cabinet-Yaak Recovery Zone.

Concerning the Grizzly Bear Access Amendment, Bradford said new road density standards would be established. Bradford specifically mentioned the Silver Butte-Fisher Bear Management Unit in which the Open Motorized Road Density number was 32 percent in 2009.

However, Bradford said the 2009 analysis included roads that were specifically open for activities at for that time.

“Those roads,” Bradford said, “typically were closed. A more current count of those roads actually were about 27 percent.”

Explaining those percentages in miles, Bradford said each percentage equates to “two to six miles.”

Bradford presented a document in which several BMUs were identified, thus coming to the total number of road closures possible for area outdoor enthusiasts.

Commenting afterward, Mark McCully, the Lincoln County Road Department foreman who attended the commissioners meeting, said he was encouraged by what he heard from Bradford.

“It sounds like they’re going to let us have a seat at the table,” McCully said.

“I’ve got to admit, I was concerned when I heard they might be closing roads. I wasn’t going to stand for closing any county roads. It doesn’t sound like they’re going to do that. It sounds like they want to work with us. I’m encouraged,” McCully said.

Concerning the Grizzly Bear Access Amendment, Bradford reminded commissioners the Record of Decision was issued Nov. 28, and currently, the decision is in a 45-day appeal period.

The decision amends the Forest Plans for the Kootenai, Idaho Panhandle and the Lolo National Forests, and the decision is carried forward in the forest plan revision process.

Bradford hinted that the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem have an estimated grizzly bear population of about 1,600, and those systems are under consideration for de-listing of the Endangered Species Act.

The KNF supervisor alluded then national efforts to enhance grizzlies could then be focused in this area, the Cabinet-Yaak Grizzly Ecosystem.

Bradford presented a letter from Regional Forester Leslie Weldon to Dave Brittel, chairman of the International Grizzly Bear Committee, stressing her support for the continued progress of the DNA study in the Cabinet-Yaak Ecosystem. That endorsement could further focus international efforts and potentially expedite study processes.

Commissioners are urging the completion of the Grizzly Bear DNA Project so it may better assess a census in the area, which Berget says is underestimated.

On Wednesday, the commissioners sought to have County Executive Bill Bischoff draft a letter to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks that indicates the county’s commitment to the $1.7 million project.

So far, the county has collected $249,350 in funding. The study is necessary, commissioners believe, to further economic development, most notably the Montanore Mine Project.

Coupled with the $249,350 committed for 2011 and another $841,000 pledged for next year, the county has $1.1 million of the $1.7 million for the study, which researcher and bear biologist of the U.S. Geological Survey Kate Kendall is conducting.

“I think it’s important we do the WHOLE study,” Presiding Commissioner Marianne Roose said as commissioners, as they looked at the funding document showing more is needed.

“I agree,” said Commissioner Ron Downey. “A partial study won’t do us as much good.”

Concerning the Forest Plan Revision, Bradford reminded commissioners the Draft Environmental Impact Statement and proposed Draft Revised Forest Plan is complete and the documents are being printed.

The supervisor said his office will release the documents on or about Jan. 3 with publication of the notice of availability of the documents of the Federal Register on Jan. 6.

“In late January, we will be scheduling Open Houses in the Eureka/Fortine area, and the communities of Libby, Troy and Trout Creek,” Bradford said.

Concerning progress on the  Montanore Project analysis, Bradford restated the extended Supplemental Draft of the EIS comment period will conclude next Wednesday, Dec. 21.

“Currently, USFS and (Department of Environmental Quality) specialists continue to engage in discussions with the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers about the supplement,” Bradford said.

“There are several issues involving the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers. We’ll keep working with both agencies to facilitate a better ranking,” Bradford said, of the “poor” ranking the Statement received previously.