Coal Banks Blowdown Salvage Project Ready to Begin

Flathead National Forest, Hungry Horse-Glacier View and Spotted Bear Ranger Districts will be implementing the Coal Banks Blowdown Salvage Project to recover economic value from downed trees, reduce the risk of high-severity wildfire, and facilitate forest recovery. The project includes three distinct areas: 110 acres in the Coal Banks area at the confluence where Coal Creek enters the North Fork Flathead River, 37 acres in the Firefighter Mountain area near Hungry Horse, MT, and 81 acres in the Spotted Bear airstrip area along the South Fork of the Flathead River. The project activities include commercial salvage harvest treatments to address stands of trees damaged by the windstorm. 

This project is categorically excluded from documentation in an Environmental Assessment or Environmental Impact Statement. The project is authorized under 7 CFR Part 1b.4(d)(36), which is described as: (USDA–36d–USFS) Salvage of dead and/or dying trees not to exceed 250 acres. The Coal Banks Salvage project is using the emergency authorities authorized by the Secretary of Agriculture under Section 40807 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. 

More information about the project is available on the Coal Banks project webpage and the project document library.