Hamilton, MT. – The West Fork Ranger District on the Bitterroot National Forest has announced that it is opening access to the popular Boulder Creek Trail #617 located at Sam Billings Campground beginning this weekend. The trail and campground have been closed for several weeks due to an active logging operation to remove beetle killed hazard trees. Sam Billings Campground will remain closed through the duration of the project which is scheduled to last several more weeks.
Beginning this Friday, August 3rd at 5 a.m. hikers will be allowed access to the Boulder Creek Trailhead located near the campground. Trail access will remain open until Sunday at 10 p.m. Access will then be closed Monday through Thursday to allow logging operations to resume with the trailhead re-opening again on Friday mornings.
“We’re sorry for this inconvenience,” said West Fork District Ranger Dave Campbell. “The Boulder Creek Trail which runs along the creek bottom through a glaciated canyon is one of the most popular trails on the Forest. We appreciate your patience as we get this important work completed which will help ensure the big, beautiful pine trees at Sam Billings and Boulder Creek Trailhead have a better chance of surviving into the future.”
Beetle killed hazard trees were removed earlier this winter at both Alta and Rombo Campgrounds on the West Fork District. Similar projects have also been completed at four sites on the Sula Ranger District and at the Lake Como Recreation Area. Removing the dead trees is necessary because they present hazards to the public, and if not removed, may result in longer closures of campgrounds or other areas.
The work is being done by C & L Tree Management of Darby with approximately 400,000 board feet of timber being salvaged for use in Montana sawmills. This project is one of numerous on the Forest resulting from the mountain pine beetle. Other projects include spraying susceptible trees with Carbaryl, an insecticide and using Verbenone, a pheromone which communicates via smell to prevent beetle attacks. The Forest is also planning to harvest and thin infested trees in the Bass Creek Recreation Area near Stevensville later this fall. For more information contact the West Fork Ranger District at (406) 821-3269.
Beginning this Friday, August 3rd at 5 a.m. hikers will be allowed access to the Boulder Creek Trailhead located near the campground. Trail access will remain open until Sunday at 10 p.m. Access will then be closed Monday through Thursday to allow logging operations to resume with the trailhead re-opening again on Friday mornings.
“We’re sorry for this inconvenience,” said West Fork District Ranger Dave Campbell. “The Boulder Creek Trail which runs along the creek bottom through a glaciated canyon is one of the most popular trails on the Forest. We appreciate your patience as we get this important work completed which will help ensure the big, beautiful pine trees at Sam Billings and Boulder Creek Trailhead have a better chance of surviving into the future.”
Beetle killed hazard trees were removed earlier this winter at both Alta and Rombo Campgrounds on the West Fork District. Similar projects have also been completed at four sites on the Sula Ranger District and at the Lake Como Recreation Area. Removing the dead trees is necessary because they present hazards to the public, and if not removed, may result in longer closures of campgrounds or other areas.
The work is being done by C & L Tree Management of Darby with approximately 400,000 board feet of timber being salvaged for use in Montana sawmills. This project is one of numerous on the Forest resulting from the mountain pine beetle. Other projects include spraying susceptible trees with Carbaryl, an insecticide and using Verbenone, a pheromone which communicates via smell to prevent beetle attacks. The Forest is also planning to harvest and thin infested trees in the Bass Creek Recreation Area near Stevensville later this fall. For more information contact the West Fork Ranger District at (406) 821-3269.