The Swan Lake Ranger District of the Flathead National Forest invites public input on the proposed Blacktail Road Project, which includes paving part of the two-lane road.
Comments are accepted through Feb. 24. The ranger district is hosting an open house on Tuesday, Feb. 9 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Lakeside Town Center, 306 Stoner Loop to present project details and answer questions.
The Blacktail Road, Road #917, is located on the Island Unit of the Swan Lake Ranger District and Flathead County, and serves as the primary access to National Forest System lands in the Blacktail Mountain area from the community of Lakeside and U.S. Highway 93. The road provides access to the Blacktail Mountain Ski Area, motorized and non-motorized trail systems, the Blacktail Mountain Nordic Cross-Country Ski Trail System, and other recreation such as huckleberry picking, hiking, and pleasure driving.
The project aims to stabilize and restore about 10 miles of road starting where the Flathead County jurisdiction ends, about milepost 3.5, to the top of Blacktail Mountain. Proposed activities for the project include transferring jurisdiction of about two miles of road from the U.S. Air Force to the U.S. Forest Service; reconstructing the road to accommodate a two-lane road with an asphalt surface; minor road alignments for safety and resource protection; stabilizing the fill slopes on a lower road segment above Stoner Creek; improving road drainage; replacing stream culverts as needed; and using the existing Blacktail gravel pit at milepost 13 to generate material for road reconstruction.
Comments can be delivered to District Ranger, Rich Kehr at 200 Ranger Station Road, Bigfork, MT 59911; by fax (406)837-7503; or by phone at (406)837-7500, or electronically to [email protected] with the project name in the subject line.