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Palisades Timber Sale Project Updates
April 22, 2013
Thank you for your continued interest in the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation’s (DNRC) proposed Palisades Timber Sale Project. The project team recognizes the many values this landscape holds for you and others within the surrounding communities.
In this spirit, we are contacting you with an update on the following:
Palisades Timber Sale DNRC Open House in Billings, Montana
May 1, 2013 at Montana DNRC Southern Land Office (1371 Rimtop Drive, Billings, MT 59105)
5:30-8:00pm
Palisades Timber Sale DNRC Open House in Luther, Montana
May 2, 2013 in the Luther School Gym (244 Luther/Roscoe Road)
4:00-7:30pm
The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) will host an open house in regards to the proposed Palisades Timber Sale. Members of the project team will be on hand for one-on-one discussions with local landowners and the public, and will review changes that have been made to the original project proposal in response to public comments. Questions about this meeting should be directed to Brad Shoemaker, DNRC Forester at 247-4403 or shoemakerb@mt.gov
February 1, 2013
Thank you for your continued interest in the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation’s (DNRC) proposed Palisades Timber Sale Project. The project team recognizes the many values this landscape holds for you and others within the surrounding communities.
In this spirit, we are contacting you with an update on the following:
• Revised proposed actions and project maps
• Revised project timeline
• Release and commenting in the Draft Environmental Assessment
REVISED PROPOSED ACTIONS
The palisades project was initially scoped in December of 2011. In conjunction with scoping, data collection began enabling the DNRC to further refine the proposal.
Initially the DNRC had identified approximately 1,140 treatment acres yielding an estimated 7.0 MMBF (Million Board Feet). These acres were located in sections 3,5,6,7,8,9,10,11 and 12 of Township 7 South, Range 19 East.
Based on the data collection and field reconnaissance the project has been further refined, resulting in a new estimate of a treatment area totaling 795 acres. Proposed harvest on these acres would yield approximately 6.0 MMBF. Due to operational constraints, section 12 has been dropped from further consideration for harvest.
Harvest: The proposed sale would incorporate two different harvest prescriptions: clearcut with reserves, and variable retention thinning. The clearcut with reserves prescription would be implemented on approximately 674 acres in stands where lodgepole pine is the primary species, with an objective of regenerating a new stand of lodgepole pine. In those stands, all merchantable lodgepole pine would be removed, and any Douglas-fir, Engelmann spruce, or subalpine fir encountered in those stands would be left as reserve trees, as well as sub-merchantable lodgepole pine. This prescription would remove, on average, 86% of the stand (in terms of basal area). The variable retention thinning treatment would be used on approximately 121 acres in mixed-species stands with greater occurrence of Douglas-fir, Engelmann spruce, and subalpine fir. The objective of this treatment would be to promote growth of existing Douglas-fir, spruce, and subalpine fir while maintaining a higher percentage of forest cover compared to the clearcut with reserves prescription. In stands receiving the variable retention thinning prescription, a target of 60 square feet of basal area would be left in each treated stand, with preferred leave trees being Douglas-fir, Engelmann spruce, and subalpine fir. Tree removal would focus on merchantable lodgepole pine, although some lodgepole pine may be left if needed to achieve the basal area target. On average, this prescription would remove 56% of the stand (in terms of basal area). For both of these prescriptions, we would also attempt to promote aspen regeneration where opportunities exist and where it is operationally feasible.
Roads and Access: In the project area, there are currently 13.5 miles of restricted roads. To conduct and complete activities associated with this project, 17.9 miles of roads are needed. Following completion of project-related activities, 4.7 miles of temporary roads would be reclaimed (i.e., closed with slash/debris and grass seeded), and 2.0 miles of existing restricted roads would be reclaimed (6.7 miles total). Thus, 15.1 miles of restricted roads would remain in the project area, which would be usable for future management, administrative use, and non-motorized use by the public. Overall, a net increase of 1.6 miles of restricted roads in the project area would remain following completion of all proposed activities (15.1 residual miles total).
A new map has been generated to show these changes in our proposed actions. Please also note our revised timeline for possible implementation. This information can be found at the links below.
Revised Project Area Map
Revised Project Timeline
REVISED PROJECT TIMELINE
Our timeline for environmental assessment, continued public participation and project implementation have been revised slightly and can be found at the link below.
Project Timeline Webpage
DRAFT ENVIRONENTAL ASSESSMENT
We will distribute the draft environmental analysis to the public for a 30-day review period. During the 30-day period, we will be asking interested individuals to read and comment on our analysis to make sure that we have adequately addressed issues and concerns raised during scoping, and that we have analyzed those issues in sufficient detail in order to understand the potential effects to the various resources listed above. Once the draft environmental assessment is completed you may submit your written comments to the document two ways. You may submit them electronically through our project website at the link below:
Comment on the Draft Environmental Assessment
You may also send your comments directly to our office in Billings or to the project team at:
Bradley Shoemaker, Southern Land Office Forester
ATTN: Palisades Proposed Timber Sale
Montana DNRC
1371 Rimtop Drive
Billings, MT 59105
DNRCPalisades@mt.gov
We recognize that this is an important area to our Red Lodge neighbors and many members of surrounding communities. We want to provide you with the necessary information to ensure that you are updated on all steps of the MEPA process, as well as to provide you the opportunity to ask questions and share concerns.
Bradley Shoemaker
Southern Land Office Forester
Montana DNRC
406-247-4400
New Project Contact Information
New Email Address! We now have a dedicated email address to help us maintain contact with you. Please replace previous email contacts with the new email address.
New Project Contact! Additionally, to help project leader Andy Miller carve out more time to focus on leading the planning team, Matt Wolcott will now be your main point of contact. Matt has already visited with many of you and looks forward to a productive ongoing dialogue throughout the process. Please contact him any time via the contact information posted below.
Contact Us! Please also remember that while your comments are welcomed at any time during the MEPA process, submitting your issues early in the project development phase will help us best address those concerns to the extent we can within our project design.
Please contact us or submit comments:
- via Email
- via Mail: Bradley Shoemaker, Southern Land Office Forester
ATTN: Palisades Proposed Timber Sale
Montana DNRC
1371 Rimtop Drive
Billings, MT 59105
- via Phone: 406-247-4400
- Online
Scoping Comments
Thanks to those of you who submitted your thoughts and concerns during formal the scoping period this winter.Below is a summary of the general issues we heard:
General issues related to the proposed project
Many of the issues raised during the public scoping period directly related to the proposed activities associated with the timber sale project. These general issues will be further refined as project planning proceeds to produce a comprehensive analysis of the issues that concern you, along with the issues identified by our planning team. Those issues include:
- Transportation – the increase in the amount of new roads in the project area, the total length of roads in the project area after project completion, and how new roads will be managed after project completion.
- Aesthetics- impacts to viewshed resulting from road construction and timber harvesting.
- Vegetation – impacts to native plant communities, spread of noxious weeds, effectiveness of harvest activities in addressing insect and disease issues and related fire danger, slash disposal, and concern for old growth and large trees in the area.
- Wildlife – decreased security cover, disturbance to migration and movement patterns, and habitat loss and disturbance due to harvest activities.
- Soils, Hydrology and Fisheries – potential water yield increases, increased erosion from new road construction, potential sediment delivery to streams, and fish passage at road/stream crossing sites.
- Economics – economic viability of the project.
- Recreation – displacement of recreationists during logging, harvest adversely affecting user experience, and increased potential for illegal motorized use.
Issues not related to the proposed project
Some concerns brought to our attention fall outside the scope of and are not directly related to the proposed Palisades Timber Sale Project. We will have responses to all of those types of concerns in our environmental analysis, which will be available for your review in the fall of 2012.
However, we believe it is very important to respond to a few of your concerns before then. Many residents have inquired about the potential reciprocal access with the U.S. Forest Service, potential land exchanges and/or sales, and the potential development of a recreational trail through the project area. We want to clarify that none of these are directly related to the proposed timber sale project. In fact, none of them are formal proposals as of now. If and when any of these are developed, you will be given proper notice and every opportunity to get involved. Additionally, each of these proposals would undergo a separate MEPA review. Here are the straight facts about these potential projects:
- Reciprocal access agreement with the U.S. Forest Service –A concern was raised regarding DNRC’s interest in entering into a reciprocal access agreement with the U.S. Forest Service. An access agreement of this type would provide access to State trust lands by way of Forest Service roads and lands to the west of the Palisades project area. In return, the State would grant access across roads and State trust lands to currently inaccessible Forest Service lands located south of the State trust lands. A common challenge we face with the isolated nature of State trust lands is acquiring permanent access across other owners to allow us to manage our lands. Reciprocal access agreements enable us to acquire permanent access across other ownerships in exchange for providing the other owner with an equal right on trust lands. While entering into a reciprocal access agreement with the Forest Service would benefit the long-term management of State trust lands within this area, this agreement is not required to implement the proposed Palisades Timber Sale Project. (Please see Project Development below for an update on proposed haul routes associated with the proposed Palisades Timber Sale Project). While we are exploring the potential for securing a reciprocal access agreement with the Forest Service, we have no formal proposal as of yet. If and when a formal plan or proposal becomes more concrete, we would immediately notify you to solicit your input and concerns and begin a MEPA process specific to this project.
- Potential land exchanges and/or sales – There are currently no formal plans to sell or further develop the lands within the Palisades project area; however, that does not guarantee that the lands will never be sold, exchanged or developed at some point in the future. If we did receive a proposal to sell or exchange within or near this block of land, we would follow the appropriate statutory process and immediately notify you to solicit your input and begin a MEPA process specific to this project. Any decisions to sell or trade the State lands in question would ultimately be made by the Land Board and would be required to undergo strict environmental and economic reviews. If there was a proposal to develop a commercial, residential or conservation use on these or any trust land, it would follow the process outlined in the Real Estate Management Bureau Programmatic Plan.
- Development of recreational trails – The Beartooth Ranger District has expressed an interest in developing a recreational trail that spans a number of ownerships, including this State trust land. Again, we have received no formal proposals. If we receive a formal proposal for recreational development, we will immediately notify you and begin a MEPA process specific to this project.
Should there be any formal development of the above potential projects, rest assured we will let you know!
Project Development
Please see our tentative project timeline.
Thank you for your interest in the management of Montana’s State trust lands. Your views and concerns are very important to us and to the development of this project. Please do not hesitate to contact us at any time.
