PROJECT DESCRIPTION, LOCATION, AND TIMELINE
A. Project Description. The Mount Xxxx Xxxxx Preserve is a City-owned public conservation area located outside the current Missoula City limits and managed primarily for native vegetation and habitat. Multiple forest stands exist on Mount Xxxx Xxxxx in various states of growth depending on recent fire history, past logging efforts, and recent disease outbreaks. Existing conditions on much of the upper forests on Mt. Xxxx Xxxxx consists of dense, regenerating stands of Xxxxxxx-fir and ponderosa pine following a stand-replacing fire in 1977. An outbreak of Xxxxxxx fir tussock moth in 2019 has impacted forests in the lower part of the mountain. In other areas, juvenile ponderosa pines and Xxxxxxx fir are encroaching into areas which have historically been native grasslands. Management goals for the projects include selectively thinning across roughly 40 acres (see attached map exhibits). The density of trees per acre is quite variable across the sites depending on slope, age of stand, and available moisture. Critical infrastructure (communications towers) exist on a private parcel at the top of Mt. Xxxx Xxxxx, surrounded by City Conservation Lands on all sides. To protect this critical infrastructure, higher intensity maintenance is required on areas surrounding the towers. Additionally, City property sits in an ideal location to establish and maintain a shaded fuel break along Larch Camp Rd, which may help facilitate future fire suppression activities. The selected contractor(s) shall perform work necessary to decrease wildfire danger, establish shaded fuel break, restore historic (pre-fire suppression) forest conditions, and/or restore grassland savanna conditions on the property. Priority of the projects is to reduce densities of coniferous trees; cutting of deciduous trees and/or shrubs should only be preformed if they pose a threat to safety. Efforts to reduce impact of machinery and vehicles on the land must be followed. Mt. Xxxx Xxxxx is a high-use public natural area. Measures to assure public safety throughout the duration of this project will be necessary. The following vegetation management methods may be utilized: mechanized thinning, hand thinning, hand pruning, hand piling and burning. Trees will be hand thinned with a chainsaw or mechanized equipment to establish pre-fire suppression characteristics/aesthetics. Depending on topography, tree density, and site accessibility, cut material may be removed from site by hauling, hand piled for burn disposal or in some cases ...
