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Lolo National Forest officials will take the future to five communities in western Montana next week, asking residents how they want the forest managed 15 years from now.

At a series of public meetings, the forest's leadership will explain their proposal for revising the long-range management plans governing the Lolo, Bitterroot and Flathead national forests.

"Certainly, issues and conditions have changed since the mid-1980s when the current plans were written," said Lee Kramer, team leader for the revision.

Already, the forests have identified six major topics that will guide the rewrite: access management, ecosystem management, recreation, wilderness recommendations and management of roadless areas, forest products, and management of national forest and private lands in the urban interface.

At the upcoming meetings, Kramer said, foresters will discuss each of the areas in need of change, then will answer questions from the audience.

They'll also discuss the "proposed action" released two weeks ago - a 24-page list of possible management changes.

"The proposed action is just one set of ideas on how we can strategically prepare these three national forests for the future," Kramer said. "The objective is to start a public dialogue."

The entire revision will take about two years.

"These documents will set the framework for all our management activities," said Lolo Forest Supervisor Debbie Austin. "They will guide us in determining such things as which projects to propose, where and when to encourage various types of recreation activities, or which approaches to fire and fuels management are appropriate in different situations."

The meetings begin next Tuesday in Missoula. Here's the schedule:

• Feb. 17, Missoula, Best Inn South, 6-8 p.m.
  
  
• Feb. 18, Seeley Lake, Community Center, 7-9 p.m.
  
  
• Feb. 19, Superior High School, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
  
  
• Feb. 23, Frenchtown High School, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
  
  
• Feb. 25, Sanders County Fairgrounds, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

The proposed action and other background information on the forest plan revision process is available on the Web at www.fs.fed.us/r1/wmpz.

Reporter Sherry Devlin can be reached at 523-5268 or at sdevlin@missoulian.com

 

If you're interested

The U.S. Forest Service will take public comment on the proposed revision of the Lolo, Bitterroot and Flathead national forest management plans through April 22. Comments should be mailed to: Western Montana Planning Zone Revision Team, Lolo National Forest, Building 24, Fort Missoula, Missoula, MT 59804. Or by e-mail to wmpz@fs.fed.us.

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