Northwest Montana Projects Selected for Forest Road, Trail and Stream Restoration Funding

A half-dozen road, trail and stream restoration projects spanning the Flathead and Kootenai national forests were selected to receive funding through the U.S. Forest Service’s 2023 Legacy Roads and Trails Program, which aims to improve water quality, roads, trails, bridges and fish habitat on national forests and grasslands nationwide. Together, the two northwest Montana forests will receive $620,000 in federal funding.

The six local projects were announced May 1 and are among nearly 100 selected nationwide. In Montana, work will occur on 25 separate projects, including: three on the Flathead Forest, three on the Kootenai Forest, five on the Beaverhead Deerlodge Forest, one on the Bitterroot Forest, two on the Custer Gallatin Forest, six on the Helena-Lewis and Clark Forest, and five on the Lolo National Forest.

According to the U.S. Forest Service’s John Hagengruber, neither specific details nor an exact funding breakdown for the individual projects are publicly available yet as they are currently out to bid for contracts. However, Hagengruber said the Flathead National Forest received $250,000 and the Kootenai National Forest received $370,000.

The announcement is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda and its work to “build a clean energy economy while creating economic opportunity in communities across the country,” according to a press release announcing the grants.

The Forest Service is responsible for more than 160,000 miles of trails, 6,700 road bridges and 7,200 trail bridges, as well as 370,000 miles of roads in a variety of ecological settings and landscapes. Approximately 80 million people receive drinking water that originates on, or flows through, national forests and grasslands.

“The road and trail improvements announced today will improve ecological connectivity and watershed health while protecting infrastructure and ensuring national forests continue to provide drinking water to communities,” according to the U.S. Forest Service announcement.

The following projects were selected:

Flathead National Forest

Crystal Cedar Area Crossing: Survey and design for replacement of culverts that restrict fish passage with aquatic organism passage structures north of Columbia Falls. Project will restore fish passage, improve road resilience, and maintain future access to adjacent areas for public, contractors, permittees, and firefighters.

Frozen Moose Area Culvert: Replacement of undersized culverts that restrict adequate flow and fish passage along the North Fork Flathead River. Project will restore fish passage, improve road resilience, and maintain future access to adjacent areas for public, contractors, permittees, and firefighters.

Swan Lake Road Trail Bridge: Replace two trail bridges and relocate section of National Forest System trail in the Swan Lake area. Project will improve trail resilience, restore fish habitat, and maintain future access to adjacent areas for public, contractors, permittees, and firefighters.

Kootenai National Forest

Main Keeler Road #473: Road improvement including surfacing at bridge approaches. Project will improve road resilience, reduce sediment deposits in streams, improve water quality and fish habitat, and maintain future access to adjacent areas for public, contractors, permittees, and firefighters.

West Fisher/Silver Butte Road Storage: Long-term road storage for approximately 15 miles of closed roads and restoration of approximately 17 stream crossings. Project will improve water quality and restore fish and aquatic species habitat.

West Fork Rock Creek Aquatic Organism Passage Survey and Design: Survey and design for replacement of undersized culvert with aquatic organism passage. Project provides preliminary work required for construction of passage that will restore habitat for fish and aquatic species, improve road resilience, and maintain future access to adjacent areas for public, contractors, permittees, and firefighters.