Below the proposed roadless units is a sea of clearcuts. Those two units are beautiful old growth lodgepole pine, some as big as 18 inches in diameter, located near Cascade Creek, below Burton Peak. It is an area where fires are infrequent, but can be stand replacing when they occur. One roadless unit, M02, is going to be logged under the justification that logging will improve threatened and endangered species habitat and restore ecosystem characteristics and structure. Their real goal is to force this stand into a tree farm of white pine and ponderosa pine, even though it is cedar, hemlock and fir are the climax species in the stand.
Most towns don t allow logging in their municipal water supply.
When asked why they had not monitored the sale area in the past and if they were going to in the future, the Forest Service said they didn t have the money. Since monitoring is a strict requirement for the Idaho Panhandle National Forest, apparently the Forest Service believes their management Plan can be violated at will. The Forest Service claims there are none on the District, but they have not monitored for them. Our Audubon Bird guide shows that the Bonners Ferry District is smack in the middle of their range. The Forest Service said they would either winter log or use the same skid trails.