News Release

September 7, 2003
Contact: Ken Frederick at 758-5252

PORTION OF NORTH FORK ROAD AND GLACIER VIEW RANGER DISTRICT TO BE RE-OPENED

Beginning Monday, September 8, 2003 at 8:00 a.m., the North Fork area west of the North Fork road will reopen to public use. The public may use areas north of Big Creek up to Moose Creek. These areas are accessed by Big Creek, Coal Creek, Hay Creek, Red Meadows, and Moose Creek roads. Roads opened during suppression activities associated with the Wedge and Robert Fires have been re-closed. The Flathead County Sheriff's checkpoint will be moved to just north of the Moose Creek road junction with the North Fork road.

Personal use firewood cutting will be allowed along the open roads, including within the Moose burn. Firewood cutters must have a personal use firewood permit and comply with Stage II (hoot owl) fire restrictions that require chainsaws to be shut down by 1:00 p.m. followed by a one hour fire watch. Firewood removal along the east side of the North Fork road is restricted to 50 feet from the road. Firewood cutting is not allowed within 300 feet of streams and all debris must be cleaned off the roads.

"We want to remind people not to cut up recently felled burned trees along roads in the Robert fire area," said Jimmy DeHerrera, District Ranger for the Hungry Horse and Glacier View Ranger Districts. "Those trees were felled because they presented hazards directly adjacent to roads, and we intend to recover those logs. People with permits, though, are welcome to cut firewood from the large piles left in the Moose burn."

Motorists are not allowed to stop on the North Fork Road while traveling through the Robert Fire burned area from Glacier Rim to Big Creek. Travel restrictions are in effect due to concerns for public safety. Snags, burning stumps, hidden pockets of hot air trapped under the soil, and unburned islands still exist on either side of the North Fork Road in the burned area.

This action is a modification to the existing Glacier View Ranger District's Wedge Fire closure and Montana State statute. The Wedge and Robert Fires will retain closures for zones around burned areas for the duration of the fires.

Glacier National Park east of the North Fork River, including the Camas road, is still closed to all public use.

For more information contact the Joint Information Center at (406)755-3910.