Logging moving ahead in Madison Valley

By Nick Gevock, of The Montana Standard - 07/26/2007

Logging and controlled burning in the South Meadow Creek area of the Madison Valley will move forward after environmental groups failed to appeal a recent court decision.

The Alliance for the Wild Rockies and Native Ecosystems Council failed to file an appeal of a May court decision that threw out the groups’ challenge of the project. That means logging will proceed this summer in the drainage about six miles northwest of Ennis.

The work will be followed by controlled burns as soon as that’s possible, said Mark Petroni, Ennis district ranger for the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest.

“We’re going to offer the timber sale probably as early as next week,” he said.

The groups had sued to halt the project, saying it was an excuse to log public land to make more grass for cattle grazing. After their lawsuit was thrown out in May by U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy, AWR spokesman Michael Garrity said they planned to appeal.

But Garrity said Wednesday that after reviewing the case, their attorney determined it wasn’t worth challenging further. Part of their appeal was based on whether the Forest Service had adequately notified the groups about the project within the required 30-day timeframe.

“He said we would have no chance of winning,” Garrity said of their attorney.

Forest Service officials said the South Meadow Creek project is aimed at reducing the risk of a large scale, catastrophic wildfire in an area that has homes nearby. Petroni said just this week a small fire ignited in the area, which is a reminder of the risk presented by the overgrown area.

That’s especially true this year, Petroni said.

“In the 19 years I’ve been here, I’ve never seen it as dry as it is now,” he said.

Workers had already begun removing brush and cutting down smaller trees because the environmental groups challenge did not include a restraining order. But Petroni said they chose to hold off removing larger trees.

“We didn’t want to commit to any of the major portions of the project until we were sure we’d cleared that lawsuit,” he said.

The plan calls for removal of up to 40 percent of the trees in some areas to open up the forest and make it less prone to large scale fires. Aspen groves will have Douglas fir trees removed.

In addition, controlled burning to clear out brush will begin this fall if rain falls so it can be done safely.

Reporter Nick Gevock may be reached via e-mail at nick.gevock@mtstandard.com.