Commissioner urges public input on planned timber-sale program and Echo Lake fire risk

Summary

A commissioner reported on a National Forest Working Group briefing and urged public attendance at an April 1 Helena hearing about a proposed continuous-yield timber program covering southwestern Montana; the commissioner warned of wildfire risk in the Echo Lake/Discovery Basin area and stressed local participation.

Commissioner Baudette told the March 10 special meeting that he attended a Beaverhead-Deer Lodge Working Group briefing featuring the acting supervisor of the National Forest and the district chief ranger. He said the Forest Service plans a continuous-yield approach that would schedule a series of timber sales across southwestern Montana, including areas that affect Deer Lodge, Granite and Powell counties.

Baudette said the Forest Service will hold a public hearing in Helena on April 1 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Delta Colonial Hotel and that the agency was not planning electronic public comment for the meeting. He encouraged residents to attend and provide input on the design and locations of proposed timber work, especially near trail and ski areas.

The commissioner also raised concern about fire risk around Echo Lake and Discovery Basin, saying topography and wind patterns could allow a fire to spread quickly and threaten homes and infrastructure; he urged local participation to ensure protective measures are considered in planning.