Flathead NF Protects Trails in the Southern Swan Crest Area

The Flathead NF released a decision on April 17th to protect 19.7 miles of trails between the Bob Marshall Wilderness and the Jewel Basin Hiking Area (see attachment). The Bruce Creek to Alpine 7 to Napa Point Motorized Trails Project addresses ongoing concerns with motorcycle use that has led to rutting and widening of tight switchbacks. These trails have highly erosive soils on steep terrain along with a history of user conflicts. In addition to addressing these impacts, the trail protections will help move the forest towards achieving better security for grizzly bears.

The area has a history of resource impacts. For example, a portion of the Alpine 7 Trail was extensively reconstructed from 2003 to 2007 due to erosion and rutting. The agency tried to relocate sections hoping to prevent further trail damage, but these efforts were unsuccessful.

The decision notice explains, “Our observation has been that even limited motorcycle use on portions of trail with the combination of moist soils, steep grades and tight switchbacks is that such use can and has lead to much more rapid linear erosion and down-cutting of the trail tread in those areas than is observed with non-motorized uses,” (DN, p. 9).

Additionally, Flathead NF officials recognized that placing hikers and motorcycles on the Napa Point Trail would lead to user conflicts and create unsafe conditions. They also acknowledged that population growth in the valley will result in more trail use and motorcycles would be incompatible with hikers. This is significant in that the decision recognizes future potential user conflicts and takes steps to prevent them by protecting the trail. In some other forests non-motorized users are told to share the trail and user conflicts have to reach the level of physical altercations in order to be acknowledged.

This decision will also move the forest towards meeting grizzly bear management goals. The Flathead Forest Plan, through Amendment 19, contains specific numbers on the amount of motorized use each subunit may provide. The Decision Notice explains, “By closing these trails to motorized use, several grizzly bear subunits will make improvements in meeting Forest Plan grizzly bear objectives,” (p. 10).  

The Flathead NF made the right decision in protecting these trails, and its rationale supports many of the things we have been saying for years.