Round Star Logging Project Advances to Next Phase of Planning

As part of an ongoing effort to reduce wildfire hazards in the region’s wildland-urban interface (WUI), Flathead National Forest officials are advancing a timber project on a 28,300-acre segment of the Tally Lake Ranger District west of Whitefish.

Dubbed the Round Star Project, the proposal calls for commercial timber harvests on up to 6,324 acres and non-commercial vegetation treatments on up to 2,866 acres, as well as the construction of more than 20 miles of new roads. Approximately 92% of the Round Star project area is in the wildland-urban interface.

On Aug. 22, the project advanced to the next phase of its planning process with the release of the Flathead National Forest’s draft decision notice and finding of no significant impact, as well as the beginning of a 45-day objection period. The objection period allows people who have previously submitted timely, specific written comments during any designated opportunity for public comment to file an objection to the draft decision.

More information about the project and how to object please go to the project page at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=60892.

According to Tally Lake District Ranger Bill Mulholland, the project would reduce tree densities and fuel loadings within the wildland-urban interface on a total of 9,190 acres of forest in the WUI. It would also help diversify plant and tree communities, provide a mix of forest products for local economies and expand recreation opportunities in the Round Meadow Area.

The project area is located on the northwest side of the Flathead Valley, approximately 13 miles west of Whitefish. It extends from Round Meadow to the northwest corner of Star Meadows. The project would expand recreation opportunities in the Round Meadow Cross-Country Ski Area by creating additional trails and infrastructure to keep pace with increasing recreational use, Mulholland said.

The majority of the project area was identified as a priority for fuels reduction to protect communities in the 2020 Montana Forest Action Plan, Mulholland said. It is also partially located within the Connecting Fuels Treatments in the Salish Mountains and Whitefish Range Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership Project Area.   

Forest officials say they have received numerous comments regarding the project since the Tally Lake Ranger District first asked for public input in December 2021. Some commenters expressed full support for fuels reduction, timber harvest and recreation expansion in the project area. Other commenters expressed concern for fish and wildlife species, particularly bull trout, grizzly bear, lynx, and wolverine. A few commenters provided input and suggestions for the recreation expansion at Round Meadow Cross-Country Ski Area.

“The project team considered all comments and agreed upon an alternative that meets project objectives while minimizing impacts to other resources,” according to a press release announcing the draft decision notice.

The project area’s northeast side abuts the Round Meadow Recreation Area, which provides opportunities for groomed Nordic skiing and snowshoeing during the winter season and hiking, biking and equestrian use during the summer. Like other recreational areas in the Flathead Valley, the Round Meadow trails have seen an increase in use in recent years, and the Round Star Project would include the addition of 4.2 miles of non-motorized trail to accommodate the influx of visitors, Mulholland said.

Improvements to the recreation area would include a new warming shelter and a storage building to accommodate government-owned grooming equipment at the trailhead, as well as an expansion of the Round Meadow parking area. The expansion would allow ease of access for horse trailers and would provide additional parking spaces during the busy winter season, the draft decision notice stated. The new roads would be closed year-round to public motorized access following implementation, the proposal states. Additional actions would include 3.4 miles of temporary road construction which would be rehabilitated after use, and 1.5 miles of road changed from open year-round to open seasonally.