Montana - Stewardship Contracting Projects

Forest Service

Finley Flat Fuels Reduction, Lolo National Forest
The Finley Flat Fuels Reduction project accomplish fuel reduction work adjacent to private property and a private campground. This project will treat approximately 104 acres.
Logan Fuels, Flathead National Forest
The Logan Fuels project will reduce hazardous ladder and ground fuels in the wildland urban interface. This project will treat approximately 77 acres.
Obermayer Fuels, Kootenai National Forest
The Obermayer Fuels project will reduce hazardous fuels in the wildland urban interface. This project will approximately treat 600 acres.
Eastshore Fuels, Flathead National Forest
The Eastshore Fuels project will conduct fuel reduction activities along the east shore of Flathead Lake. This project will treat approximately 600 acres.
Middle East Fork Fuels Reduction, Bitterroot National Forest
The Middle East Fork project will reduce fuels in the wildland urban interface, restore fire adapted ecosystems, and restore stands affected by the Douglas-fir bark beetle epidemic. This project will treat approximately 6,400 acres.
Blankenship Fuels, Flathead National Forest
The Blankenship Fuels project will reduce fuels in the wildland urban interface. This project will treat approximately 714 acres.
Fishtrap Project, Lolo National Forest
The Fishtrap project will restore and enhance water quality, improve Grizzly Bear habitat, restore native vegetation, and decommission roads. This project will treat approximately 3,700 acres.
Rock Creek Hazard Tree, Lolo National Forest
The Rock Creek Hazard Tree project will conduct both fish habitat improvements and hazard tree reduction in a high use area. A contract was awarded for FY 2006.
OHV Trail Signage, Flathead National Forest
The OHV Trail Signage project will install signs to promote appropriate use of OHV trails and reduce erosion.
Coal Creek Restoration, Flathead National Forest
The main objective of the Coal Creek project is to conduct watershed restoration to improve bull trout habitat.
Island Fuels Reduction, Flathead National Forest
The Island Fuels Reduction is designed to reduce the probability of crown fires or high severity fires escaping from National ForestS lands onto adjoining private lands that have been identified as “communities at risk.” This project was awarded in FY 2005.
Frazier Interface Fuels Reduction, Bitterroot National Forest
The Frazier Interface Fuels Reduction Project will treat hazardous fuels in order to reduce the risk of fire to structures and private forested land and restore fire and natural processes across the landscape. The contract was awarded in FY 2004.
Grasshopper Fuels, Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest
The Grasshopper Fuels Project has multiple objectives, including: reducing hazardous fuel conditions within and adjacent to the wildland-urban interface in the Grasshopper Valley; reducing stand densities and ladder fuels; and creating defensible space within the wildland- urban interface. This project will reduce hazardous fuels on approximately 3,814 acres.
Georgetown Lakes, Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest
The Georgetown Lakes fuel reduction project will treat approximately 927 acres in order to accomplish fuel reduction work adjacent to private property. This project will also reduce the risk to firefighters and public safety from a wildfire.
Yaak Community Stewardship Collaborative, Kootenai National Forest
Previous forest assessments within the region indicated a need for restoration efforts in subunits of the Kootenai National Forest to improve plant diversity, wildlife habitat, and wildfire protection. The primary goals of the Yaak Community Stewardship project are to reduce hazardous fuel levels, improve wildlife habitat, restore area streams, increase local employment, and enhance local job skills. A contract was awarded in FY 2003.
Treasure Interface, Kootenai National Forest
The Treasure Interface project is designed to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire and increase public safety; improve wildlife habitat diversity; maintain and restore native ecosystems; supply various forest products and increase opportunities for local jobs. Two contracts were awarded in FY 2003.
Knox-Brooks Stewardship Project, Lolo National Forest
Stand diagnoses within the Knox-Brooks project area indicates a need to address mountain pine beetle epidemics and general declines in forest health. Additional watershed analyses show the need for improvements in fish habitat and water quality. The Knox-Brooks project is designed to bring the existing forest closer to a mosaic of cover types and age classes resembling a natural disturbance-dependent landscape, thereby reducing the extent and intensity of insect and disease epidemics. A contract was awarded in FY 2002.
Frenchtown Face, Lolo National Forest
The primary objectives of the Frenchtown Face project are fuels reduction and forest health restoration. Secondary objectives are noxious weed control and decommissioning of un-needed roads. The fuel reduction treatment will focus on Forest Service lands adjacent to private lands. Approximately 10,000 acres are proposed for treatment.
Sheafman Restoration, Bitterroot National Forest
The Sheafman Restoration project is designed to reduce fuel hazards and decrease the risk of catastrophic wildfire. Contracts were awarded in FY 2002 and FY 2003 and the project is now complete.
Bitterroot Burned Area Restoration, Bitterroot National Forest
The Bitterroot Burned Area project is designed to restore those ecosystems that burned during 2000. As part of its objectives, the project aims to reduce existing fuels, improve watershed and aquatic habitat, and provide economic opportunities for local/regional communities. Five contracts were awarded in FY 2002 and FY 2003.
Westface, Beaverhead/Deerlodge National Forest
The Westface project is designed to restore and enhance forest stand condition, while providing for improved visual aesthetics. The project also will treat invasive plant species, restore wildlife habitat, improve access and transportation, improve recreational sites and facilities, and improve interpretive resources. A contract was awarded in FY 2002.
West Glacier Fuels Project, Flathead National Forest
The West Glacier Fuels Project (also known as Hungry Horse) is designed to improve public and fire-fighter safety by reducing fuels and wildfire threats and creating defensible space within the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI). Three contracts were awarded in FY 2004.
Paint Emery Stewardship Demonstration, Flathead National Forest
A recent mid-scale watershed analysis indicated that fire suppression, timber harvesting, and other human uses have changed the landscape and negatively affected the vitality and health of the Paint Emery Watershed. Land managers and local collaborative stewardship groups developed the Paint-Emery project to restore and improve water quality, soil productivity, wildlife and fish habitat, visual quality, and the composition, structure, condition, and health of forest stands in the area. Three contracts were awarded in FY 2001 and FY 2002 and this project is now complete.
Condon Fuels Project, Flathead National Forest
The Condon Fuels Project is designed to reduce existing fuels within the Condon Administrative Site and use the results as part of a “Firewise” demonstration for nearby residents. The project is now complete.
Clearwater Stewardship Project, Lolo National Forest
The Clearwater Stewardship Project focuses on the treatment of forest stands susceptible to mountain pine beetle in low elevation grizzly bear habitat. The project also focuses on the closure of roads to improve habitat security. A contract was awarded in FY 2001 and this project is now complete.
Judith Vegetation and Range Restoration, Lewis and Clark National Forest
The Judith Restoration project will redistribute grazing use and rehabilitate riparian habitat along the Judith River. The project also seeks to restore the structure of forest stands and reduce wildfire threats. This project was awarded in FY 2004.
Main Boulder Project, Gallatin National Forest
The Main Boulder Project is designed to reduce fuels within the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI), while restoring old growth communities and providing cover and forage for big game species. The project also hopes to help stimulate markets for small-diameter forest products.
Dry Wolf Stewardship Project, Lewis and Clark National Forest
The Main Boulder Project is designed to reduce fuels within the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI), while restoring old growth communities and providing cover and forage for big game species. The project also hopes to help stimulate markets for small-diameter forest products.
Game Range, Lolo National Forest
The Game Range project is designed to improve ecosystem health and productivity while improving winter range conditions for a variety of big game species. The project also seeks to control the spread of noxious weeds and improve existing old growth forest conditions. This project was awarded in FY 2004.
Clancy–Unionville Project, Helena National Forest
The Clancy-Unionville project aims to provide for healthy and diverse vegetative communities, while reducing threats of wildfire. The project also hopes to improve wildlife habitat diversity, improve existing road networks, maintain/improve area water quality, and provide a variety of forest products.
Condon Ponderosa Pine Fire Tree Improvement Thinning Project, Flathead National Forest
The Condon Ponderosa Pine Tree improvement plantation will remove approximately 4,000 trees to develop a plantation into a seed production area. The contract was awarded in FY2004.
Hayes Creek Fuel Reduction, Bitterroot National Forest
The Hayes Creek project will reduce fuels in the Wildland Urban Interface to avoid a catastrophic fire event. The objective is to reduce the crowns to a point whereby a crown fire would drop to the ground prior to reaching the private land. The contract was awarded in FY2004.
Fred Burr 80 Hazardous Fuels Reduction, Bitterroot National Forest
The Fred Burr 80 project was initiated to reduce fuels and the potential for severe fire. This area was identified as a high priority for treatment in the Bitterroot Valley Community Fire Mitigation Plan in 2003. This contract was awarded in FY 2005.
Green Mountain Fuels Reduction Project, Kootenai National Forest
The Green Mountain Fuels Reduction Project will reduce the risk of stand replacing crown fire by reducing downed woody debris and removing ladder fuel. The area to be treated is with in the wildland urban interface. The treatment will thin timbered stands to favor fire tolerant species and to improve the vigor of stands. Ponderosa pine, western larch, Douglas-fir, and lodgepole pine, and grand fir will be targeted for removal. Invasive species will also be treated. The number of acres proposed for treatment is approximately 600 to 800 acres.
Cedar Spoon Fuels Reduction Project, Flathead National Forest
The Cedar Spoon project area has National Forest lands intermixed with private lands. The purpose of the project is to lower the risk of severe and intense wildfire, improve initial attach and control of fires, protect human life by providing a safer environment for firefighters and the public should a fire occur, and protect identified human and natural resource values in the event of a wildfire. This contract was awarded in FY 2005.

Bureau of Land Management

Garnet Ghost Town, Missoula Field Office
Phase 1 of this project will reduce hazardous fuel buildup on 20 acres near Garnet Ghost Town. The purpose of the project is to remove dead, dying and densely spaced trees to reduce fire intensity and create safe areas near historic buildings and other features. Phase 1 is the first of three or more phases; the entire project is expected to include approximately 330 acres. The project was developed in collaboration with the Garnet Ghost Town Preservation Association, a non-profit group organized to assist BLM with the management and preservation of the 1800 era mining community.
Zortman, Lewis Town Field Office
The 800 acre project will improve the composition, structure and condition of forest and woodland stands in and near urban interface areas of Zortman, Montana. Key objectives are to improve forest health, reduce hazardous fuel loads, and enhance wildlife habitat in meadows and mesic shrub communities. Included in the project is commercial thinning, fuels reduction, recreation site improvements and improvements to shrub components.

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