Kootenai National Forest spring prescribed fire projects

The Kootenai National Forest is planning to conduct spring prescribed fire projects when weather, fuel conditions and air quality become favorable.

Smoke may be visible from various places across the forest depending on the location of the burn units and weather conditions. Motorists are asked to drive carefully and slow down as smoke may impact nearby roads.

Firefighters and equipment may be on or near these roads during implementation. There is the potential that residual smoke may be visible for several days after initial ignition.

Each project follows a prescribed fire burn plan. The prescribed fire projects are located and designed to be controlled to reduce the potential for adverse effects.

These projects will comply with Montana air quality standards and be guided by the Montana/Idaho State Airshed Group to reduce the impacts of smoke to our neighbors, cooperators, and surrounding communities.

Here is a list of the projects that are planned this spring:

Cabinet Ranger District

Minton Trout Project – This project includes broadcast burning both timber harvest units and natural fuels units located within the Trout Creek drainage west of Trout Creek.

These treatments will use prescribed fire to increase resilience to insects and diseases, reduce hazardous fuels within the wildland urban interface and improve big game forage.

Helwick Project - This project includes broadcast burning within timber harvest units and located within the Big Beaver Creek drainage west of Trout Creek. These treatments will use prescribed fire to increase resilience to insects and diseases, reduce hazardous fuels within the wildland urban interface and improve big game forage.

Libby Ranger District

East Reservoir Project – This project includes broadcast burning both timber harvest units and natural fuels units located within the Cripple Horse Creek drainage northeast of Libby.

These treatments will use prescribed fire to create landscapes that are resilient to disturbance, improve wildlife habitat and reduce hazardous fuels.

Rexford/Fortine Ranger District

Caribou Fire Salvage and Restoration Project – This project includes broadcast burning timber harvest units located in the West Kootenai vicinity northwest of Eureka. These treatments will use prescribed fire to protect health and safety of the public, restore portions of the landscape burned by the Caribou wildfire, and reduce hazardous fuels.

Galton Project – This project includes broadcast burning timber harvest units and natural fuels units in the Fortine vicinity. These treatments will use prescribed fire to reduce fuels within the wildland urban interface, improve wildlife habitat, and re-introduce fire to forested ecosystems.

Koocanusa East Shore Project – This project includes broadcast burning natural fuels units in the Douglas Hill vicinity west of Eureka. These treatments will use prescribed fire to reduce hazardous fuels, improve forest health, and improve wildlife habitat.

Gateway Ecological Restoration Project - Prescribed fire will be used to emulate the “natural ecological role” of fire by not only reducing the surface fuels that have built up since the last prescribed burn treatment, but also stimulating the growth of forage, and improving the overall health of the forest.

McSutton Project – This project includes broadcast burning natural fuels and timber harvest units in the Sutton and Tweed Creek drainages southwest of Eureka. These treatments will use prescribed fire to reduce hazardous fuels, improve forest health, and improve wildlife habitat.

North Meadow Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project – This project includes broadcast burning timber harvest units in the Barnaby and Marl Lakes vicinity west of Fortine. These treatments will use prescribed fire to reduce hazardous fuels, improve forest health and improve wildlife habitat.

Young-Dodge Project – This project includes broadcast burning both timber harvest units and natural fuels units in the West Kootenai vicinity northwest of Eureka. These treatments will use prescribed fire to reduce hazardous fuels which decreases the likelihood of large stand replacing wildfires and restore characteristic vegetation patterns, structure and patch sizes.

Three Rivers Ranger District

Lower Yaak, O’Brien, Sheep Project – This project includes broadcast burning both timber harvest units and natural fuels units located within the Yaak River drainage north of Troy.

These treatments will use prescribed fire to promote resilient vegetation conditions, improve wildlife habitat and reduce hazardous fuels while reducing the potential for high intensity wildfire.

South Fork Fuels Project – This project includes broadcast burning timber harvest units located within the Kelsey Creek drainage south of Yaak, MT. These treatments will use prescribed fire to reduce hazardous fuels, improve safety for the public and firefighters and improve forest health.

Starry Goat Project – This project includes broadcast burning timber harvest units and natural fuels units located within the Callahan and Star Creek drainages west of Troy. These treatments will use prescribed fire to promote resilient vegetation conditions, improve wildlife habitat and reduce hazardous fuels while reducing the potential for high intensity wildfire.

Please follow the link below to view the full list and map of planned projects based on Ranger District.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/.../FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1097997.pdf

For more information about these projects, please contact the appropriate Ranger Station:

Cabinet Ranger District: (406) 827-3533

Libby Ranger District: (406) 293-7773

Rexford/Fortine Ranger District: (406) 296-2536

Three Rivers Ranger District: (406) 295-4693