Sheep Gap Fire Salvage Project approved

Last week, U.S. Sen. Steve Daines and Montana Rep. Greg Gianforte applauded the Forest Service on the signing of the Sheep Gap Fire Salvage Project in Sanders County.

“Last year’s fires harmed communities and devastated forest landscapes in places like Sanders County,” Daines said. “This critical project will restore areas on the Lolo National Forest impacted by last year’s Sheep Gap Fire while supporting good-paying Montana timber jobs.”

In 2017, the Sheep Gap Fire devastated acres of the Lolo National Forest in the county with fire crews battling for weeks — keeping private property and forest from high devastation to vegetation and property in the Plains and Thompson Falls Ranger Districts.

Under the approved Emergency Situation Determination, the Lolo National Forest is able to expedite timber sales for the Sheep Gap project during the fall of 2018.

“The U.S. Forest Service is using common sense management practices and acting quickly to mitigate the damage from the Sheep Gap Fire,” said Gianforte. “This project will help restore the natural habitat, help Montana timber workers, and boost the local economy as we recover from last year’s devastating fire season.”

The Sheep Gap Fire began on Aug. 29, 2017, and burned approximately 25,000 acres, including roughly 19,700 acres on National Forest system land. Of the 19,700 acres of National Forest system lands affected, 10,638 acres burned at very high to high severity; in the high severity areas nearly all trees burned were killed.

THE SHEEP GAP Fire Salvage Project will occur on the Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District in Sanders County approximately four miles west of the town of Plains. The agency proposes to harvest approximately 2,650 acres of salvage, totaling an estimated 22 million board feet of timber. The project is estimated to provide nearly 200 part- and full-time jobs, and roughly $6.7 million in estimated income.

Montana House District 13 State Rep. Bob Brown said, ”This project is the right thing to do. It’s important to salvage as much timber as we can and as quickly as we can in those areas that have been damaged. Thanks to Senator Daines and Congressman Gianforte for your work in securing ESDs.”

Montana House District 14 State Rep. Denley Lodge said, ”I’m very pleased because of the economic impact it will give the community. It will also help clean up and maintain a safer and healthier forest into the future. I thank Senator Daines and Congressman Gianforte for advocating for ESD’s in Northwest Montana.”

This comes off the back of Daines recently filing an amendment during consideration of the Farm Bill in the U.S. Senate to further encourage the USFS to carry out salvage and other urgent actions using ESDs in response to fires and other emergencies in Montana’s national forests. Gianforte secured an amendment in the House-passed Farm Bill to allow for large-scale expedited salvage operations that requires reforestation of at least 75 percent of the burned area.

Last month, both Daines and Gianforte announced the approval of two other salvage and restoration projects in Montana: the West Fork Salvage on July 2, and Restoration Project and the Cub Creek Fire Salvage Project on July 19.