Planning and land classification is currently progressing on the Bitterroot, based 

 on the data now available from the recent timber inventory. A timber management plan 

 for the period up to 1982 is planned for completion in early 1977. Although minor 

 changes in land classification may occur, it is projected that of the 133,517 acres of 

 lodgepole, approximately 66,000 acres would be available for management and utilization, 

 with another 17,700 acres in which salvage would be permitted. 



A large share of the unregulated portion of the lodgepole area is not available for 

 utilization because productivity is so low, utilization is so costly, and management 

 return so uncertain and low, it is not now practical to include in the timber base; or 

 because of unacceptable adverse impacts to other resource values that would be incurred 

 by roading and development: 



Aoves 



Total unregulated lodgepole pine 67,650 

 Sites so low in productivity no management 



can be justified - 14,823 



Areas not available in present planning periods; 



may or may not be in future - 35 ,024 



Areas now available for harvest primarily because there 17,732* 

 is now road access and some harvest has occurred. Future 

 harvest will primarily be salvage of dead trees. 



*Estimated lodgepole pine proportion of a total 24,000 acres of unregulated 

 land now available for some harvest. 



Assuming that about 70 percent of these 17,732 acres are mature stands (based on 

 table 2), the total mature lodgepole area available for harvest is: 



Standard 30,524 

 Special 1,796 

 Marginal 



Unregulated 11,827 



44,147 



5 



