Little Beaver project gets nod

The Western News

A U.S. District Court judge has lifted the injunction on the Little Beaver Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project that clears the way for employment actions in the area while protecting grizzly bear habitat.

Judge Donald Molloy, on April 3, lifted the injunction on the Little Beaver Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project. The Alliance for the Wild Rockies filed a lawsuit over concerns that the revised assessment had contradictions in the administrative record regarding the grizzly bear presence in the project area.

“We received a favorable ruling on the Little Beaver Project,” said Kootenai National Forest Supervisor Paul Bradford. “Now we are looking forward to implementing this project soon.”

The Little Beaver project, which is outside of the Cabinet-Yaak grizzly bear recovery zone, includes a component of work funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).  This project would create employment opportunities with full protections for grizzly bears while considering all habitat requirements for bears.

 The Little Beaver project involves fuels reduction/management in the Little Beaver drainage. The proposal includes commercial thinning on 780 acres, regeneration harvest on 398 acres, prescribed burning on 691 acres, 5.5 miles of new permanent roads, and 2 miles of temporary roads.

 “This fuel reduction project was developed collaboratively with a diverse group of stakeholders and is strongly supported by the adjacent landowners and the Sanders County Commissioners,” said Randy Hojem Acting Cabinet District Ranger. “Western Reclamation, the successful bidder on the stewardship contract, expects to begin work on the project as soon as ground conditions allow.”

 To learn more about the Little Beaver project please visit: www.fs.usda.gov/projects/kootenai/landmanagement/projects

 For more information please contact Janis Bouma, Forest Environmental Coordinator at 406-283-7774.