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CHAPTER I 



PURPOSE AND NEED 



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INTRODUCTION TO PROPOSED ACTION 



The Department of Natural Resources 

 and Conservation (DNRC) , Stillwater 

 Unit, is proposing the Dog/Meadow 

 Timber Sale Project. The project 

 proposes to harvest timber and 

 improve road drainage and stream 

 crossings . 



The gross project area encompasses 

 approximately 5,000 acres. The 

 project area, north of Olney, is 

 adjacent to Highway 93 and runs east 

 to the toe of Stryker Ridge. All or 

 portions of Sections 7, 17, 18, 19, 

 20, 21, 28, 29, 30, 32, and 33, 

 T33N, R23W, and Sections 12, 13, and 

 24, T33N, R24W, are included in the 

 project area {see PROJECT AREA MAP 

 on the back of the front cover) . 

 The school trusts involved in the 

 proposed actions include Public 

 Schools (C.S.), Agricultural College 

 (Morrill Grant) (A.C.B.), Public 

 Building (P.B.), and State Reform 

 School (S.R.S) . 



Two alternatives, an action and a 

 no-action, are being analyzed. If 

 the action alternative were 

 selected, an estimated 8.5 million 

 board feet (MMBF) of timber would be 

 harvested from approximately 93 9 

 acres of the analysis area. 

 Harvesting would be accomplished 

 using a variety of silvicultural 

 treatments. The type of treatment 

 selected for each stand would depend 

 upon the existing condition and the 

 desired future condition for that 

 particular stand. Existing roads 

 and short spur roads that would be 

 built for temporary use would access 

 the proposed harvest units. The 



temporary spur roads would be built 

 to minimum standards and reclaimed 

 after harvesting activities are 

 completed. Adding ditch and 

 surface-drainage structures, 

 graveling segments of road, and 

 installing culverts where needed 

 would improve existing roads in the 

 project area. All stream crossings 

 on access roads would be examined to 

 ensure that they comply with Best 

 Management Practices (BMPs) ; 

 improvements would be made as 

 needed. 



PURPOSE OF THE PROPOSED ACTION 



The lands involved in the proposed 

 project are held in trust by the 

 State of Montana for the support of 

 specific beneficiary institutions, 

 such as public schools. State 

 colleges and universities, and other 

 specific State institutions, such as 

 the School for the Deaf and Blind 

 (Enabling Act of February 22, 1889; 

 1912 Montana Constitution, Article 

 X, Section 11) . The Board of Land 

 Commissioners (Land Board) and DNRC 

 are legally required to administer 

 these trust lands to produce the 

 largest measure of reasonable and 

 legitimate long-term return for 

 these beneficiary institutions 

 (Section 77--1-202, Montana Codes 

 Annotated [MCA]) . On May 30, 1996, 

 DNRC released the Record of Decision 

 for the State Forest Land Management 

 Plan (SFLMP) . The Land Board 

 approved the implementation of the 

 SFLMP on June 17, 1996. The SFLMP 

 outlines DRNC's management 

 philosophy for forested State trust 

 lands and provides specific Resource 



