Bitterroot National Forest Supervisor Julie King has announced that Pyramid Mountain Lumber of Seeley Lake has been awarded a timber contract for the Como Forest Health Project on the Darby Ranger District. The project includes over 2,200 acres of overstocked National Forest System lands between Lake Como and Lost Horse Canyon.
The purpose of the project is to improve forest health and reduce hazardous fuels while maintaining the scenic qualities of the area. In addition to the commercial and non-commercial timber harvests, the project also includes prescribed fire for fuels reduction. The Bitterroot Community Wildfire Protection Plan identified the project area as a ‘high priority’ for fuels reduction in the wildland-urban interface.
Project specifics include: commercial timber harvest (logging) on 1,040 acres; non-commercial thinning to reduce tree densities on 730 acres; reducing mountain pine beetle infestation hazards; maintaining wildlife habitat components by not treating or modifying treatments in areas of hiding and thermal cover.
The project will provide nearly 6.5 million board feet of timber (1,500 truckloads) to Montana sawmills.
“We are excited to announce that we are awarding this timber contract to Pyramid Mountain Lumber,” said Bitterroot National Forest Supervisor Julie King. “Besides improving forest health and reducing hazardous fuels and the potential for crown fires, this project will provide jobs and economic benefits to our local communities.”
Work is scheduled to begin on the project this fall. For more information, contact the Darby Ranger District at 821-3913.
