Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Project

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CRC is partnering with members of Pyramid Mountain Lumber, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, The Wilderness Society, the Blackfoot Challenge, Rich Ranch Outfitting and Guest Ranch, Rolling Stone Ranch, and the Montana Wilderness Association to put forth a legislative proposal that would create jobs in Seeley Lake, restore Forest Service lands in the Valley, and secure 87,000 acres of wilderness for recreation access.

The Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Project requests $750,000/year for 10 years from Congress to support the planning, implementation, and monitoring of stewardship contracts on the Seeley Lake Ranger District. It further requests $4.5 million (to be matched by $2.5 million in private money) to build a new boiler and co-generation facility at Pyramid Mountain Lumber. Finally, it proposes that 87,000 acres of recommended wilderness adjacent to the Bob Marshall-Scapegoat and Mission Mountains wilderness areas into designated wilderness.

The proposal would create 45-51 new jobs in Seeley Lake in the mill, logging, maintenance/repair, and service sectors. It would increase annual wages by $1.2 to $1.4 million and would increase local small business income by $325,000 to $388,000 annually. The co-generation plant would reduce Pyramid Mountain Lumber's operating costs in the long-term by providing heat and electricity to the mill.

Further, the proposal would improve forest health by thinning out bug- and disease-infested trees, reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfire, reducing sediment yield in streams, improving forage for big game, replacing culverts and bridges at stream crossings, and removing unused roads.

Finally, the proposal would enhance our rural lifestyle by improving hunting and recreational access on the Seeley Lake Ranger District.

To learn more about the project, please read this recent article published in the Seeley-Swan Pathfinder and visit www.blackfootclearwater.org.

Click here to find out how you can help!