Caribou fire salvage project finalized

Kootenai National Forest signed off on the Caribou Fire Salvage and restoration project in the Rexford Ranger District, the third of three such projects resulting from last year’s wildfires.

According to a news release, about 4,075 acres of dead or dying trees will be salvaged “for recovery of economic value.” Hazardous trees will also be removed from along 45.5 miles of road to provide for reforestation and soil restoration on 1,801 acres.

“Salvaging fire-killed trees will contribute to employment and income in local communities affected by the wildfires,” Kootenai Forest Supervisor Christopher Savage states in the news release.

The project is expected to begin late this summer. Officials advise that people using public lands in the vicinity of the project “should be alert for increased vehicle traffic, including log trucks.”

For more information, view project documents at www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=53032 or call District Ranger Bryan Donner at 406-296-2536.