A newly formed group called the Big Sky Coalition (BSC) drew a large crowd recently at its first organizational meeting held on Sunday, November 4, at the Hamilton Fairground Event Center. Over 500 people showed up to listen to a panel of speakers present information on historical changes in the vegetative landscape of the Bitterroot Valley, the last fifty years of fire management by the U.S. Forest Service, the effects (mostly financial) that this management has on our county, and the health-related effects of wildfire smoke.

"The let-it-burn policy just isn't working," BSC founder Tom Robak, from Darby, told the gathering. "We need to do something different." That "something different" turns out, by a show of hands at one point, to be more logging. The biggest complaint is the loss of valuable resources through catastrophic wildfire and the secondary damages of all that wildfire smoke to the economy and the health of the community. In response, he suggests more thinning and logging of the forests to reduce the fuel load.

Robak said that, looking back, the loggers were not to blame for the unsustainable clear cutting that was instituted on the federal forests. He blamed it on the politicians who had promised more timber than could be sustainably produced and demanded it from the Forest Service, which then set unsustainable goals for production on the forests. He said that form of mismanagement, massive over cutting, then gave way, under legitimate criticism by environmentalists, to the let-it-burn form of management of today. But Robak sees this as a flawed policy, as well.

Moderator Sonny LaSalle, a retired Forest Service Supervisor, said, "We are not in the blame game. That blame can be shared by an awful lot of folks. We have a crisis in our national forests, and the question is how can we go forward." He also reminded everyone that it was a very limited topic of discussion.

"We are not going to talk about wolves. We are not going to talk about off road vehicles and we're not going to talk about stream setbacks," said LaSalle.

An advertisement had recently been placed in the newspapers by the Big Sky Coalition opposing any streamside setback regulations. Robak said later in the meeting that this was a mistake and that the BSC, as a group, would be totally focused on forest management and would not involve itself as a group in any other issues, although he was personally involved strongly in the streamside setback issue.

Jack Losensky, a Historical Vegetation and Fire Ecologist with the USFS for 35 years, gave a slide show presentation showing, through old and new photographs, the transformation of the vegetative landscape over time in certain places. Most show a change from more open growth with natural breaks between tree stands compared to very thick, overgrown modern conditions. For the most part, he said, tree densities have doubled and the natural discontinuity of the stands has been lost.

Mick Dezell, who worked on the forest starting in the 1960s, told the gathering that in his estimation, "the system is broken and needs fixed." He said that people pointing to global warming and the Forest Service's let-it-burn policy are partially right, but that the main factor was the huge build up of fuels on the forest due to previous management practices and that logging was the best way to remove those fuels. He said that if nothing was done we would soon lose our house log industry like we lost our saw log industry. He advocated a lot more salvage logging after the burns.

County Commissioner Alan Thompson, who serves on the National Association of Counties' National Public Lands Steering Committee representing all of Montana, outlined how the county is comprised of 73 percent federally owned land and receives funds from the federal government as Payment In Lieu of Taxes to the tune of $1.4 million per year. It amounts to about $1.09 per acre. The county also receives money from the 25 Percent Fund, which is one quarter of the income earned from resource extraction from the local forest. Two-thirds of that goes to road improvements in the county and one-third to the schools.

"As logging disappears so does the 25 Percent Fund," said Thompson.

He also said that the forest produces 91 million board feet of timber in growing stock annually. In the 1960s the Forest Service managed to harvest 58.3 million board feet. But in the 1990s this fell to an average of about 7.15 million board feet per year. He said that Ravalli County spent $300,000 in road repairs following the fires of 2000 related to use by heavy firefighting equipment. A 2-mill levy was assessed to meet those costs and the next year another 2-mill levy was enacted to provide trash removal for victims of the fires.

Thompson said that he told a congressional committee in testimony that he recommended getting in and utilizing the resources after a fire, that the county needs to be a part of negotiated settlements over forest litigation, and that a bond should be required before a lawsuit could be filed stopping a timber sale.

Dr. Mark Jergens from Marcus Daly Hospital explained some of the health effects of breathing wildfire smoke. He said it contains gases and particulates that can cause acute and immediate effects such as irritation and inflammation of many parts of the body. It contains known carcinogens, it reduces the amount of oxygen that can be absorbed into the blood at the same time that it creates conditions demanding more oxygen. He said that not much is known about the long term chronic effects of exposure because the studies have not been done. But there are a number of compounds involved that are known carcinogens.

"It's intuitive," he said, "that breathing benzene and formaldehyde isn't great for your long term respiratory system."

Several people commented at the meeting that lawsuits by environmentalists were also a major factor in the systemic failure of the Forest Service to tackle the fuel buildup problem with an aggressive logging and thinning program.

Bitterroot National Forest Supervisor Dave Bull, who was present, said that, while everybody has a right to challenge government actions, "as a result of these lawsuits in some cases full treatment has been prevented."

LaSalle said that making a timber sale proposal "legally defensible" cost the Forest Service twice as much as an uncontested one. He said that he was challenging everybody here to come to the table up front and work on a resolution without that threat.

"We've got to stop the appeals and lawsuits," said LaSalle.

According to Mathew Koehler of Alliance for the Wild Rockies, however, these accusations about lawsuits hamstringing the Forest Service are not based on facts.

Forest Service data, that was obtained via the Freedom of Information Act, shows that there were 534 timber sales from 1985 to 2002 on the Bitterroot National Forest. Of those sales, 29 were appealed. That means five percent of all timber sales on the Bitterroot National Forest were appealed between 1985 and 2002. Conversely, it means that 95 percent of all commercial timber sales went through without any appeal in a 17-year period.

Regarding litigation of timber sales on the Bitterroot National Forest, there have been two timber sales litigated on the BNF between 2002 and the current time - the 176 MMBF Burned Area Recovery Plan following the 2000 fires and the current Middle East Fork HFRA project.

"Two court challenges out of 530 plus timber sales hardly seems like getting sued 'almost every time'," said Koehler. He also pointed to the evidence presented in the latest climatological studies that determined that global warming was playing a major role in fire size, frequency and intensity.

In a press release following the BSC rally, Jim Miller, President of Friends of the Bitterroot, contradicted some of the claims made at the meeting. He said that many of the largest fires in the Bitterroot started and burned through forests managed for timber production including: Skalkaho Fire 2000 (Darby Lumber), Jocko Fire 2007 (Plum Creek), Chippy Creek Fire 2007 (Plum Creek) (Source: Bitterroot National Forest Fire Map and the Missoulian).

"Since FOB was founded in 1988, we have litigated three timber sales on the Bitterroot National Forest," said Miller. Hundreds of timber sales on the BNF have been brought to contract without delay, appeal, or litigation. None of the lands that were the subject of litigation or appeal have burned since. (Source: Bitterroot National Forest Timber Sale Records).

Miller also stated that FOB has consistently supported forest thinning and fuels reduction in the Community Protection Zone (CPZ) adjacent to communities. These treatments to protect homes and lives have proven to be effective, he said, citing a study (Cohen, USFS Fire Lab).

"If saving lives and protecting homes are the priorities for wildfire policy then the CPZ work should come first, rather than more commercial logging on our national forest," said Miller. He stated that all of the large fires in Montana over the past 20 years have occurred during summers of record setting temperatures and drought caused by global warming. (Westerling, Science Magazine. Running, IPCC Report).

"The Big Sky Coalition is the same group of private property rights activists that are fighting Ravalli County Streamside Setback Regulations. With the foregone conclusion that more logging will somehow prevent forest fires, they assembled a panel of speakers to rubber stamp that conclusion. There is no scientific evidence to support logging as a means to prevent wildfire, and the respected scientists that can easily debunk that myth were not invited to participate. There was a lot of criticism directed toward FOB but we were not invited to participate either. If their goal is to change forest management policy, we would encourage them to put their energy into constructively participating in the public process that is available to all citizens who are concerned about our national forests," said Miller.

Robak challenged FOB and other environmental groups to come together with his group and talk the matter over with the governor.

Senator Rick Laible told the gathering Sunday that the Forest Service should not be blamed because it was Congress that was not authorizing the appropriate funding for sensible forest management. He urged people to contact Montana's Congressional delegation to urge them to provide the funding to do the fuel reduction treatments that are needed.

Stevi considers annexation request

By Michael Howell

The Town of Stevensville is considering a request to annex 42 acres of land into the city that would be subdivided into 118 city lots. The proposal by John Anderson, called Twin Creeks Subdivision, would go in on land south of Middle Burnt Fork Road. The hearing concerning annexation of the property was held on October 30, and no decision was made. Anderson agreed to a 30-day extension of the deadline for processing the annexation request and the matter will be taken up again at the Town Council meeting on November 13.

Anderson owns about 40 acres of the land involved and Rebecca Thoft owns another 2-acre parcel that will be included in the annexation and development. The proposal is to create 117 single family residences on the property with five park areas. The owners propose to do the development in three phases, creating 53 lots in Phase 1, another 43 in Phase 2 and a final 21 lots in Phase 3 over a period of 3 to 23 years.

Some neighbors have raised objections to the project and other citizens raised questions at the annexation hearing last week. Concerns were expressed about the increased traffic, about potential well contamination in the area, about high groundwater, historical flooding, and problems with water flow related to culverts and freezing in the area.

Anderson said that the plan called for affordable homes in the $180,000 range, "not high end homes." He said that it was a good place for development right across from school property. He is offering to install a well on the property that would serve the new subdivision and be incorporated into the city system. An easement across school property to accommodate an extension of the city water and sewer lines to the property has already been granted.

Consultant for the developer Nathan Lucke said that the proposed water system suits the recommended solution for expanding the Town's water supply which is currently at capacity. Lucke explained that the whole development, in fact the whole town of Stevensville, is in the Burnt Fork flood plain delineated for the area by the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC).

In that document it was estimated that a flood in the Burnt Fork could cover the whole valley bottom in the area with up to one foot of water. The developer proposes to build the homes on mounds raised two feet above the stream level to assure protection from such a flood. There are also plans to build berms to control flooding along the creeks.

Based on a projected 9 trips per day per household, the development is expected to create an additional 1,053 trips per day on Middle Burnt Fork Road. The current number of trips per day on the road is estimated at 1,748 per day as a weekday average.

Questions were also raised about the effectiveness of the planned storm water drainage. The plan calls for a series of drainage sumps, or catch basins, described as "miniature drain fields" to deal with the storm water. One citizen questioned whether such a system could function properly in an area of potentially high groundwater and flooding.

Lucke said that state regulations required them to devise a drainage system that would keep the rate of flow of wastewater off the site equal to what it was before development. He said that he had confidence in the design of the system and that in his opinion it would work.

Questions were also raised about the water supply system and whether the proposed well could provide adequate water to the homes.

"I put my (engineering) stamp on this," said Lucke. "I'm confident it will work."

County Road Supervisor David Ohnstad suggested that the Town conduct a traffic impact analysis to see if the current infrastructure in the area could handle the projected demand. He said that the intersection of Middle Burnt Fork Road and Highway 93 was already restricted and long vehicles could not maneuver a turn.

Ohnstad said that because the county road department had approved an encroachment or access onto Middle Burnt Fork Road did not mean that it had approved the subdivision and that the results of a traffic impact study were really needed to make that determination. He also cautioned the Town about proceeding with hydrological conclusions based on the existing culvert size on Logan Road because that culvert may disappear when Logan Lane is improved by the county.

Mayor Bill Meisner noted that when the design was done for the improvements on Middle Burnt Fork Road, a project that is currently on hold, it did not include the 117 units of the proposed subdivision.

"And that is a significant impact to the roadway," said Meisner. "If you double the traffic you are going to double the wear. That's a significant impact that I don't think the taxpayers of the city or the taxpayers of the county should have to bear."

Under the gun to make a decision within the 60-day deadline established in state law, the Mayor asked Anderson if he would consider a 30-day extension to allow the councilors to digest the information presented.

"We're not trying to strangle you," said Meisner, "but there is a lot to digest."

Anderson agreed to the delay and it was decided to consider a draft document of the council's findings at the November 13 meeting of the Town Council and set any conditions for approval at that time. The annexation request could then be approved or denied at that time or continued to a special meeting on the 19th, if required.

Middle Burnt Fork Road done for now

By Michael Howell

The Ravalli County Road and Bridge Department put down a layer of asphalt on both sides of Middle Burnt Fork Road this summer to reduce the radical crown of the roadway and beef up the edges of the road that had disintegrated. Through letters, phone calls and walk-ins at the Bitterroot Star office asking about the project, it became evident that some members of the public do not believe that the job was completed and are wondering what is going on.

Road Supervisor David Ohnstad said that the work was "a patch job," not a true repair. He said that it was an intermediate job to provide security along the road edge which was in terrible disrepair. He said that no further work was planned any time soon. He said that the county is trying to work with the Town of Stevensville, which has water lines buried under the roadway, to make some permanent improvements, but the Town is not yet ready to update its water system under the road.

Some citizens believe that water will now collect in the center of the road and freeze, causing a hazard.

"Right now, we are considering no further action on the road," said Ohnstad. "It is not perfect, but it in no way constitutes a hazard. In our estimation it will provide a perfectly usable surface." He said the department would monitor it through the winter, but that no problems were expected.

What's up with Wal-Mart?

By Michael Howell

Speculation about Wal-Mart's plans to potentially locate a Super Center in the Bitterroot Valley are a hot topic lately, but Wal-Mart is remaining mum on the subject for the time being.

A memo sent to the Montana Department of Transportation by David Evans and Associates, Inc., a company associated with the Wal-Mart proposal to build a store north of Hamilton on property owned by Donaldson Brothers, has fueled speculation that the company is now considering a site south of Hamilton at the intersection of Highway 93 and Blood Lane.

The memo mentions a 155,000 square foot commercial retail space to be located at the site that would produce 255 new vehicle trips per day at the morning peak hour and an additional 495 trips at the afternoon peak. The project would have entranceways onto Highway 93 and Blood Lane.

Josh Phair, a spokesperson for Wal-Mart, said that the company had not yet decided, as far as he knew, about a location for building in Ravalli County. Although he confirmed that the company was considering alternate sites, he would not confirm that the site north of Hamilton on property currently owned by Donaldson Brothers, was being abandoned, despite reports that the building permit had expired. He said that there were concerns about the proposed water system at the site but that the potential for development at the site was still open.

He qualified all his remarks with the admonition that he would have to consult with headquarters for a clear answer and promised to get back with the information within a day. It has been over a week now and he has not returned subsequent phone calls from the Bitterroot Star.

Rachel Clark of the Montana Department of Environmental Quality Public Water and Subdivision Bureau said that she had received a request for information about a membrane bioreactor wastewater system from a consultant for Wal-Mart. Such a system would require a wastewater permit from the Water Quality Bureau. She said that Wal-Mart's permit request for a water permit on the property north of Hamilton was still active.

Jim Skinner, a program and policy analyst for the Montana Department of Transportation, confirmed that several sites south of Hamilton were being considered for a large (155,000 square foot) development and that an analysis was being conducted at the intersection of Highway 93 and Blood Lane. He said that other sites may also be under consideration that were not yet being studied.

The memo to MDOT about the Highway 93 and Blood Lane intersection traffic study included a build out date of 2010.

The Good Neighbors Coalition, a group opposed to Wal-Mart development in the Bitterroot due to negative effects on local businesses and the local economy, is planning to ask the County Commissioners to consider an emergency Interim Zoning along Highway 93 that would limit the size of retail development along the highway and possibly preclude a large scale development like a Wal-Mart Super Center.

A countywide zoning measure to restrict retail building size in the county to 60,000 square feet was passed by the County Commissioners and then repealed by a public vote.

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