CSKT Forestry provides information regarding harvesting tribal forest products

Edited by Roian Matt, Tribal Forestry Department, from the Timber Use Policy Statement

RONAN — The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes’ Timber Use Policy Statement (TUPS), CSKT Tribal Forest Products Harvesting Ordinance 61-C, and the 25 CFR 163 guide the Tribal Forestry Permits Program. Timber harvesting must also stay consistent with the Flathead Indian Reservation Forest Management Plan and within the National Environmental Policy Act.

There is so much information in these documents that the Permits Program would like to give the public of the Flathead Indian Reservation some basic information regarding harvesting Tribal forest products. There are numerous stipulations when harvesting for personal use or commercial use, and any interested party should contact the Tribal Forestry Permits Program for all of the regulations. Free Use Without Permits

Free Use Without Permits is for personal use only. Tribal members may harvest Personal Use fuel-wood, posts (a forest product cut for the purpose of building a fence cut to a length of 8 feet 3 inches and no more than 6 inches in diameter at Diameter at Breast height (DBH) or 4.5 feet above the ground), poles (a forest product similar to a post, but 8 to 24 feet in length and less than 6 inches at DBH), and Christmas trees without a permit, as long as the products are not sold or exchanged for other goods and services. Personal Use posts and poles are limited to 200 each of standing dead or down and green lodge pole pine per Tribal family for a 12-month period. Non-members may participate in Personal Use harvesting if the non-member is the spouse or minor child of the Tribal member and is in possession of a valid Tribal Recreation Use Permit. His/her Tribal member spouse or parent must accompany the non-member during all phases of harvest activities. Commercial Christmas Tree Permits

Commercial Christmas Tree Permits authorize the Permittee to harvest Christmas trees from Tribal land not closed to Christmas tree cutting. No Christmas trees shall be cut from areas that have been planted or thinned. The Permittee should request information if they do not understand how to recognize these areas. Christmas trees may be salvaged from active thinning areas with written permission from the contractors. Cutting of Christmas trees on Tribal home sites or other areas mandated by the Tribal Council is prohibited.

Christmas trees must be harvested without the benefit of any gas or electric powered saws, or hand-powered saws that exceed 18 inches in length. A tree may be cut under this Permit if the tree is smaller than 4 inches at DBH. Tree must be a Douglas fir, grand fir, alpine fir, lodge pole, or Engelmann spruce. A Special Permit is required for Ponderosa pine. These permits are issued for specific areas where cutting of Ponderosa pine will not conflict with other land uses such as desired regeneration. The remaining portion of the tree should be completely severed to the stump. The tree will be cut below the last live limb. Christmas tree buyers determine the grade of the tree they will buy and reserve the right to reject any or all trees. Permittee should check with the buyer to determine what grade of tree will be accepted.

The Permittee is asked to leave some young trees for future saw-log production. When all Christmas trees have been harvested from an area, the remaining young trees should be spaced 13 to 15 feet from each other and be Ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, western larch, lodge pole pine, or Engelmann spruce. The trees must be free of dwarf mistletoe or other diseases, of good form, and showing better than average height of growth. Commercial Fuel-wood Permits

Commercial Fuel-wood Permits may be issued only to Tribal members for resale of fuel-wood. Non-members shall not participate in any activities under this permit. Persons operating under this permit are authorized to harvest fuel-wood from the area described in the permit. The Officer-in-Charge may further limit the area to protect Tribal land, water, or improvements. Standing dead or blow down timber of any species may be utilized except in areas temporarily closed for commercial salvage operations. Fuel-wood will not be cut from log decks. Fuel-wood may not be hauled in lengths exceeding 8 feet unless approved in advance by Tribal Council.

In the near future, the Tribal Forestry Department will be revisiting the TUPS to provide the Tribal Council with recommendations on amending the current policies and procedures.

Reminder: Spring break-up is just around the corner and could occur at any time due to warmer weather. During spring break-up, Tribal Forestry asks harvesters to temporarily shut down their operations until weather and ground conditions improve. There will be no skidding and no hauling due to the damage it causes to the ground and roads.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call Shawn Decker or Linden Plant at (406) 676-3755.