Fuels Treatment Activities Begin in Pine Phlats Project Area

Libby, MT, January 29th, 2026— Vegetation treatments have recently began in the Pine Phlats project area, which is located north and west of Libby, Montana in the Bobtail and Lower Pipe Creek area, on the Libby Ranger District of the Kootenai National Forest. 

The first scheduled activities include 183 acres of mastication operations that will be completed by a National Forest Foundation (NFF) awarded contract. Operations began this month, January 2026, and are expected to continue through May, with active operation days contingent on favorable, seasonal ground conditions. This portion of the project is divided into 3 units (view attached map), with 2 units adjacent to Pipe Creek Road #68. 

When operations are ongoing in the Pine Phlats project area, please avoid the active operations, keep a safe distance from heavy equipment, and use caution if traveling in the area. The mastication operations, including heavy equipment, will be visible but public travel on Pipe Creek Road will not be affected.

Working together, officials from both the Forest and Lincoln County selected this project due to it falling within a “priority area” designated in the Montana Forest Action plan for high fire risk and forest health concerns, with 92 percent of the project acres identified as at risk. It also is a prime example of projects that meet the intent of the recently approved master stewardship agreement between the Forest and Lincoln County. A main reason for the agreement development was to help facilitate fuels treatments across the county and forest to reduce wildfire risk and improve forest health.

These initial mastication treatments will be followed by commercial timber harvest, in partnership with the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) via Good Neighbor Authority. 

The NFF mastication portion of the project was solicited through a Request for Quotes (RFQ) for projects under $250,000. For any contractors interested in being notified for future NFF projects, please reach out to Wyatt Trull at wtrull@nationalforests.org or visit https://www.nationalforests.org/rfp.

For any questions or concerns regarding the Pine Phlats project, please contact the Libby Ranger District at 406-293-7773 or visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/r01/kootenai/projects/archive/67057.

About the Forest Service: The USDA Forest Service has for more than 100 years brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation. Grounded in world-class science and technology– and rooted in communities–the Forest Service connects people to nature and to each other. The Forest Service cares for shared natural resources in ways that promote lasting economic, ecological, and social vitality. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, maintains the largest wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. The Forest Service also has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 900 million forested acres within the U.S., of which over 130 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.

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