Do you ever brake to take in the views of Wolf Creek while mountain biking down the Thompson Ridge singletrack?  Have you ever tromped around in the Williams Creek drainage to forage for morels in the spring? Have you gawked and photographed the amazing fall foliage up Twisp River recently?

These places, along with others dear to so many of us, are being proposed as “treatment areas” in the Forest Service’s massive Twisp Restoration Project proposal. To ensure that these public lands are managed for the public good and that the restoration treatments are science-based and credible, your participation in November is crucial!

What is the Twisp Restoration Project, and what is the Draft Environmental Assessment? 

The Twisp Restoration Project, created by the Forest Service’s Methow Valley Ranger District, proposes landscape-scale aquatic and terrestrial “restoration” activities on over 77,000 acres within the Twisp River, Alder Creek, Rader Creek, and Wolf Creek drainages (excluding areas in the Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness). Some of the proposed management activities include both commercial and non-commercial thinning, large shaded fuel breaks (heavier thinning), aquatic habitat enhancement, road building and decommissioning, and authorization of 22 miles of road for motorized recreation.

The Draft Environmental Assessment, released by the Ranger District on October 20th, assesses if and how the implementation of specific treatments and activities affect natural resources and the human environment in the project area. The District has concluded that the project will have “no significant impact,” and it is this finding that is currently being questioned by MVCC and needs your input. For a massive, complex project that will be implemented over the next decade, we have strong concerns that the 30-day comment period is inadequate. The Methow Valley community deserves more time to truly understand and participate in the Twisp Restoration Project in a meaningful way. After an initial review of the project, we are also asking the following questions:

• How have landscape conditions changed since the 2018 Crescent Fire and does this warrant the current proposed thinning treatments? Has an updated landscape analysis been done?
• How does salvage logging fit into a restoration framework? Most science clearly points to the damage caused by salvage logging post-fire.
• Why are big old trees up to 30” being proposed to be cut when they are lacking on the landscape? In which instances would this happen? How many are proposed for cutting? Where is the science supporting this? Given the lack of large trees on the current landscape (the result from past logging practices) and their importance for forest resilience, MVCC prioritizes protecting large trees where they still exist on the landscape. Current written direction for the Okanogan/Wenatchee NF discourages the cutting of trees over 24”.
• What is the justification for treatments in Inventoried Roadless Areas?
• Why do we need shaded fuel breaks in old-growth reserves (LSRs), especially within or adjacent to larger treatment areas?
• How does opening the Upper Twisp River to All-Terrain Vehicles affect traditional uses of the area? Who is this proposal designed to accommodate? How will ATV use be regulated and enforced? How is ATV degradation addressed in areas where ATVs are currently permitted?

How to get involved – If you are passionate about your local forests, there are a few ways you can get involved and provide input on the proposed project:

• Read the Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) – We encourage everyone to become familiar with the report, note your issues of concern, and jot down questions. The Draft EA is lengthy and dense, so for starters, we recommend reading Chapter 1 which provides background information on the project and an outline of proposed activities and treatments.  You can download the report and related documents on the Forest Service website (click the Analysis tab to reveal the Draft EA download link).
• Participate in the Methow Valley Ranger District’s Public Meeting: On November 5^th at 6:30 pm, the Ranger District will be holding a virtual public meeting where they will provide background info on the project and field questions from the community. Info on how to join the meeting is below, and can also be found here:
  • To join video meeting: https://tinyurl.com/TwispEAMtgLink  using Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer, or another supported browser.
  • To join the meeting audio only by phone: Call In: 1-202-650-0123 Conference ID: 395 893 407#
• Attend MVCC’s webinar on The Twisp Restoration Project Draft EA – Key Findings & Priorities: during this hour-long webinar on Wednesday, November 11^th at 6 pm, MVCC staff will present an overview of the project, highlight key findings and priorities based on its own review of the Draft EA as well as observations made on the ground, and provide guidance to MVCC members on how they can submit their own comments to the Ranger District. This a virtual meeting open to MVCC members. Please register here.