The Montana Department of Resources and Conservation (DNRC), Kalispell and Stillwater Units, is considering a Forest Management Project at Spencer Mountain and Beaver Lakes (click here for Initial Proposal, Scoping Notice).
1,700-acres at Spencer Mtn. & 2,800-acres in Beaver Lakes are proposed to be impacted with 33 miles of road improvements.
The project as proposed will have significant impacts to our public lands:
North Spencer - Spencer Lake hillside ~200 acres - 6- 10 trees per acre to remain
East Spencer - Fish House & adjacent WF Hills ~150 acres - 2-4 large overstory trees per acre left
Beaver Lakes - WT, Murray Lake & North Beaver - varied prescriptions for fire, disease, & forest health
We are concerned this proposal will leave a shocking scar on the landscape
that will be visible from Highway 93 west of Whitefish
AND...
will negatively impact our favorite community recreation areas
The DNRC's proposal also does not include past 'promised mitigations' to maintain the existing recreational trails at Spencer Mtn secured under a 10-year license agreement at an annual cost of $17,000/year (paid by Whitefish Legacy Partners & FAMB on behalf of the City & public).
We encourage everyone to send an email or letter. Request the DNRC Spencer Mtn. timber sale prescription be lessened to protect the viewshed and request the addition of an objective to ensure reasonable precautions are taken to avoid unnecessary damage to the existing recreation systems.
Send comments to:
Department of Natural Resources and Conservation
Attn: Alex Golden, Kalispell Unit
655 Timberwolf Parkway, Kalispell, MT 59901
alexander.golden@mt.gov, 406-751-2265
For more information on these issues, please Read On.
This proposed forestry project includes lands protected by the City of Whitefish under the 2014 Public Recreation Use Easement (PRUE) at Beaver Lakes at a cost = $7.3M and Spencer Mountain where the City of Whitefish (& WLP + FAMB through MOUs) are licensed to develop and maintain recreational trails and amenities through a 10-year Land Use License that costs ~$17,000/year in fees.
Based on WLP and FAMB's recent discussions regarding the proposed project, we expect the Timber Sale will occur Fall 2025 through 2027 with significant recreation closures planned. The biggest impacts, trail closures, and anticipated damage is expected at Spencer Mtn. as the City holds a 10-year agreement with the State, not a permanent easement.
“Before” and “After” satellite images of State School Trust Lands near Woods Lake
representing impacts of DNRC’s 2022 Seed Tree forestry management in Beaver Lakes.
Before 2022 DNRC Harvest Units After
We believe a similar prescription on Spencer Mtn. would be too severe - and would result in an ugly scar on Whitefish’s western gateway and viewshed AND the proposed harvest will damage the popular existing, licensed trail system.
Additionally, we recommend that the DNRC undertake additional changes and mitigations:
Proposed forest management should be conducted during winter seasons to minimize impact to the lands and the public’s use of licensed trails.
If not a winter harvest, any trail or area closures should be limited to Monday-Friday, 8-4pm, to allow public recreation on weekday evenings and weekends. The public should have access to the 16+ miles licensed trails paid for by the City, WLP & FAMB.
A Spencer Mtn. Recreation Expansion proposal was submitted and accepted by the DNRC Kalispell Office in February 2024 (view here). The proposed Timber Sale does not acknowledge this proposal - and it should. The area is important to the community’s future recreation interests and the State should prioritize these community strategies and willingness to generate revenue on behalf of MT schools & universities.
At Beaver Lakes, the State is planning to harvest trees both inside and outside of the City of Whitefish’s Public Recreation Use Easement (PRUE). The PRUE ensures that the DNRC cannot remove trees within the Whitefish Trail corridor, must minimize crossings and only cross WT perpendicularly, and is required to coordinate with the City of Whitefish & WLP. We are hopeful that these rights will be upheld. Where the Sale proposes timber harvests outside of PRUE, we encourage the DNRC to find an appropriate balance between forestry, habitat, and public land impacts.
Management of the State’s trust land resources is required to produce revenues for the trust beneficiaries (MT schools & universities) while also considering environmental factors and protecting the future income-generating capacity of the land.
It is extremely challenging for the public to understand how these state goals will impact wildlife, water, viewsheds, and public recreation. We rely on the State’s environmental review and our local State foresters to provide detailed information to help us engage and understand proposals. So, what is a 'sanitation' harvest? How many trees will be cut? How many will be left? How do we visualize changes in an 'old growth maintenance' harvest? How is 'overstory removal' different than 'individual tree selection'? How long will it take for the forest to recover from management practices?
We need more information! The Beaver Lakes area is an important community public asset with 5 lakes and close to town recreational access.
Submit comments and ask for additional details prior to a Decision by the State for this proposed forestry project. Also, request to be added to the mailing list for all future communications.
