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Projects
Featured Projects
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Non-time Critical Removal Action Adjacent to OU3 (Mitchell-Jackson)
This project is a Non-time Critical Removal Action to reduce fuels adjacent to OU3 to reduce the potential of wildfires moving into OU3.
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Minerals Projects
The Kootenai National Forest has several mining projects in various stages of development. These include the Libby Exploration Project and the Troy Mine Project.
Schedule of Proposed Actions - SOPA
The Forest publishes a Schedule of Proposed Actions (SOPA) four times a year: January, April, July and October. The SOPA provides project information, status, and contacts. To view the current and past SOPAs, visit the Forest Service SOPA page for the Kootenai National Forest.
Appeals and Objections
Environmental Appeal Responses
An Environmental Appeal is a formal request to an agency higher authority for review of an environmental planning (NEPA) decision. The public's rights to file an appeal are defined in specific appeal regulations. Usually, all administrative processes must be exhausted before a person can bring a court action (litigation) against with a NEPA decision. This usually includes the filing of a formal appeal.
- Kootenai National Forest Appeal responses issued after October 1, 2006
- Kootenai National Forest Appeal responses issued before October 1, 2006
Pre-Decisional Objection Responses
Objections are written documents submitted by an individual or organization seeking a pre-decisional administrative review of a proposed hazardous fuel reduction project authorized by the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (HFRA). The public may file objections after an environmental assessment or final environmental impact statement is completed and before a decision document is signed for a project under HFRA.
Interested in Receiving Forest Project Notifications?
For each new project on the Kootenai National Forest after July 10, 2023 you can sign up to receive project updates automatically using the signup form below.
Note on Project Listings
As you view project information, please note that the documents are being stored in a new file system and the folder and document dates that display in that system are the dates they were moved into the system. The dates on the folders and documents are not the dates the documents were created. To know the actual date of the project documents, you will need to go into the documents and note the dates within.
Kootenai National Forest Current and Recent Projects
Projects on the Forest Managed by Other Units
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Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail Comprehensive Plan
The Comprehensive Plan will develop administrative and management goals, objectives and practices for public lands in Forest Service Regions 1 and Regions 6.
Kootenai National Forest All Units
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Kootenai Forestwide Young Growth Vegetation Management Project
Vegetation management via precommercial and commercial harvest, & burning of activity fuels only within previously managed, second growth stands across the Forest. The project is part of the Montana Governor's Forest in Focus Initiative.
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Kootenai National Forest Over-snow Motorized Use Travel Plan
The U.S. Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact statement to inform a decision about the designation of trails and areas of the Kootenai National Forest which would be open to over-snow motorized vehicle use.
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Norman McCedar
Project to reduce fuels in the Libby fireshed.
Cabinet Ranger District
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Dry Creek Sediment Reduction
rehabilitation of deteriorating road system which is currently closed to all public motorized use, and prevent future mass wasting, sediment delivery and erosion from the road system to Dry Creek and related minor tributaries.
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Flat Tail
Exploring vegetation and fuels management activities near the communities of White Pine and Beaver Creek, Sanders County, Montana.
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McKay-Engle
Build resistance and resiliency to disturbance through vegetation management, reduce hazardous fuels, provide forest products, and build whitebark pine resistance to blister rust through restoration and planting
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Smeads Bench Trail 1077 Reroute
This project is cancelled because it has been incorporated into another project. The updated project name and tracking number is Smeads Pilgrim Motorized Trails Reroute - #64079.
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Vermilion River Restoration
stream habitat restoration program proposed for 9 specific reaches on the Vermilion River over a 10 yr period
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Vermilion River Restoration - Grouse Reach
River and habitat restoration on approximately 2,400 feet of the Vermilion River in the Grouse Creek reach, located near Trout Creek, Montana.
Fortine Ranger District
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East Fork Sunday Fire Salvage and Restoration
Fire salvage and reforestation in the 2023 East Fork Fire area.
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Glen Sinclair
Hazardous fuel reduction activities, including on Forest Service lands in the Wildland Urban Interface in the Glen Lake, Sinclair Creek, and Ksanka foothills areas.
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Sunday Vegetation Management
Vegetation Management and Fuels Reduction in the Sunday Creek area.
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Ten Lakes Travel Management Project
Designation of over-snow motorized use areas and non-snow trail management.The Forest Service has undertaken a new Forest-Wide over-snow project to include the Ten Lakes Wilderness Study Area project, combined, as of 4/26/2024.
Libby Ranger District
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Airport Firearms Range Project
Improve safe operations to the visiting public on 4.9 acres not currently authorized under existing special use permit. Allow for increased parking and construction of berms, targets, benches & additional safety operations including reduced noise.
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Coyote Improvement
Harvest of approximately 240 acres to increase stand resilency to Mountain Pine Beetles.
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Flower Creek
This project includes fuel and vegetation management through commercial timber harvest, pre-commercial thinning and fuel grinding. Also includes 1.81 miles of road storage, 1 mile of temporary road construction, and 0.23 miles of trail construction.
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Libby Creek Mining Operations
The Kootenai National Forest has received two proposed Plans of Operations for placer mineral exploration in the Libby Creek drainage.
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Libby Exploration Project
The Project is a deposit evaluation program that consists of drilling for locatable precious metals over the next four to five years.The State of Montana issued Operating Permit No. 00150 area encompasses 219 acres.
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Pine Phlats
This project proposed hazardous fuels reduction treatments in the wildland urban interface to promote stand resilience to insects and disease; and reduce the risk or extent of, or increase the resilience to, wildfires.
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Snowshoe Granite 1000 Roadside Fuelbreak
Roadside fuels management project within the wildland urban interface, including hazardous fuels reduction, wildfire suppression strategy, firefighter safety, and other resource-specific objectives.
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Stargazing Mining Operation
Operators of the Stargazing mine are proposing a mining operation that would remove approximately 100 tons of placer material from the mountainside and set up three core drilling sites to explore for minerals.
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Stimson Bobtail Access
Provide management access to Stimson Lumber Company lands through National Forest land. Two short segments of new road, totaling about 2600 feet (about 3 acres), would replace access on costly and currently inaccessible National Forest System roads.
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Swamped
Use vegetation management treatments to improve forest conditions, hazardous fuels levels, and wildlife habitat; proposal may also include transportation management, watershed improvement, and noxious weed treatment in an area southeast of Libby, MT.
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Timberlane Campground Deferred Maintenance
The Kootenai National Forest is proposing to upgrade facilities and address deferred maintenance at Timberlane Campground. Major improvements to accommodate modern day recreation vehicles are needed.
Rexford Ranger District
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Abayance to Bridge Trail Construction
Construct a 6.6 mile segment of the PNT between Abayance Bay Marina and the north side of the Pinkham Creek canyon and another 0.8 mile segment between the sound side of Pinkham Creek canyon and the Koocanusa Bridge to move trail off of HWY 37.
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Douglas Hill OHV and Dispersed Camping Areas
Recreation Site management to address increased use
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Douglas Hill-Tobacco River Recreation Sites
modification of 3 recreation sites adjacent to Lake Koocanusa addressing overnight camping, dispersed sites, and ohv use
Three Rivers Ranger District
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King Kong - Wildlife Habitat Improvement & Forest Health Project
Improve forest health and wildlife habitat by reducing natural fuel build-up and promoting plant vigor. Proposed activities include non-harvest fuels thinning, hand piling, and prescribed fire.
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Pleasant Pheasant Project
We are proposing timber harvest; mechanical and hand piling of fuels; wildlife and aquatic habitat improvement such as prescribed burning and stream restoration work.
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Ruby Snax - Forest Restoration & Resilience Project
The district is proposing non-harvest fuels treatment and harvest treatment in areas surrounding Logan creek and Star creek. The objective of this project is to improve forest health and promote forest resiliency.
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Trojan Defense Fuels Reduction Project
The project area is located within the Kootenai Complex part of the Wildfire Crisis Strategy landscape areas and the Lincoln County Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) which was designated to treat hazardous fuels surrounding the community of Troy.
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Why Not, Stardust Minerals Project
"We have received three Plans of Operation to conduct small-scale suction dredging activities in Star Creek, and the Yaak River. The Forest Service will analyze effects to the resources in the project area.
Project Archive
Some of our older projects can be accessed in our Project Archive.