United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service

Nez Perce  Clearwater  Bitterroot  Lolo National Forests

Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness
2002 State of the Wilderness Report

The Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness (S-BW) spans the border of north central Idaho and western Montana. As one of the wildernesses established with the 1964 Wilderness Act, its 1.3 million acres lie within four National Forests and are managed by six ranger districts. The Clearwater National Forest manages the portion of the S-BW that is part of the Lolo National Forest.

REPORT INDEX	CONTACTS/ DISTRICT RANGERS
Ranger's Perspective 2002 S-BW Field Presence Selway River Trail Maintenance Education Volunteers Fire Wilderness Dams Wilderness Airfields Mechanical Uses Weed Occurrence and Suppression Stock Improvements Administrative Sites Research Law Enforcement Outfitters Use Monitoring Awards & Acknowledgements Forest Web Sites	Bitterroot National Forest
	Dave Campbell - West Fork Ranger District	406-821-3269
	Dan Ritter - Darby Ranger District	406-821-3913
	Jeanne Higgins - Stevensville Ranger District	406-777-5461
	Clearwater National Forest
	Cynthia Lane - Lochsa Ranger District	208-926-4275
	Joni Packard - Powell Ranger District	208-942-3113
	Nez Perce National Forest
	Joe Hudson - Moose Creek Ranger District	208-926-4258

Hardcopies of this report can be obtained from:

Ann Schwaller

Recreation & Wilderness Planner

Powell Ranger District

Lolo MT 59847

Upper Wind Lake

THE RANGER’S PERSPECTIVE

The stars are out tonight and I am back, somewhere on a high ridge, looking up at galaxies in a brilliant, star-studded sky.
Endless is the swirl, the mass of worlds so near, yet so very far away.

In the middle of this winter’s night, I am snug; back in the warmth of summer’s heat fading from the land, breathing deep of the thunderstorm’s recent passing.

I can see and hear them still. A gentle nicker in the night. A feedbag scoured for one last oat. A line of hooves and noses opposite one another, lined high between sub-alpine sentinels.

I can smell and feel it still. The smell of stock worked hard, just right. Canvas tarps ground deep with sweat and travel. Saddles weathered, worn, friendships in the making. 

Above, perched high between the heavens and the earth, an old fire lookout sits, sleepless eyes still watching.
Below, mountain lake reflections of star worlds on the waters.

Good friends laugh and ponder, as stories make their circle. Muscles aching, tired, but spirits soon restored. Easy sleep comes quickly as a creek nearby softly whispers. Moonlight breaks the shadows, dancing on the mountains.

Yes, I know it still. Even in the middle of this quiet winter’s night.

Wilderness is calling, places wild sing home.

Joni Packard

Powell District Ranger

(2002 trip to Wind Lakes, Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness)

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Snowy footprints along the trail.

2002 S-BW FIELD PRESENCE

Wilderness rangers, volunteers and other personnel on each Forest monitor a variety of resource conditions and types of use in the S-BW to maintain resource integrity. While in the field, personnel keep track of campsite conditions, weed occurrences, fires, airfield use, river use, trail conditions, outfitter activities, compliance with Forest Plan standards and visitor concerns.

In 2002, 8 field-going personnel were responsible for inventory, monitoring, visitor contacts and education. Historically, 10-12 field-going personnel have been assigned to the S-BW, but budget constraints have limited field coverage in recent years.

	Managed by:
	Bitterroot NF	Clearwater NF	Nez Perce NF	Total
S-BW acres	512,050	268,932	559,699	1,340,681
# Wilderness Rangers	3	2	2 +1 river ranger	8
# Volunteer Hours	308	1,268	2,800	4,336
Total Miles S-BW Trails	458.8	310.3	706.6	1,475.7
Miles S-BW Trail Maintained	258.2	255.7	326.2	840.1
# Campsites Monitored	129	98	47	274

Bitterroot National Forest

Three rangers patrolled the Bitterroot portion of the S-BW in Montana. These rangers are based out of the Darby, West Fork and Stevensville Ranger Districts.

Clearwater National Forest

The Wilderness program on the Clearwater was revitalized in 2002 with the arrival of two new, permanent wilderness rangers to the Powell District. Kearstin Edwards, the Lead Wilderness Ranger, arrived at the end of June and Kevin Foss started in early August.

Nez Perce National Forest
Two Wilderness Rangers were responsible for patrols on the Moose Cr. District. The Resource Assistant/ Forest Wilderness Program Manager was assigned a detail in Utah. Subsequently, the Lead Wilderness Ranger assumed a portion of the Program Manager’s administrative responsibilities reducing the number of days this individual was available in the field. One Wilderness Ranger position remains unfilled.

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SELWAY RIVER

The Moose Creek and West Fork Ranger Districts share the administration of the Selway River.   West Fork administers the permit system, river outfitters, and launch site. The river ranger from Moose Creek has primary responsibility for the river corridor. River Ranger duties include monitoring river and campsite conditions, ensuring compliance with regulations, naturalizing campsites, organizing a small cadre of highly qualified volunteers as secondary boatmen, transporting various specialists down the river and making public contacts along the river corridor.   

The section of river covered by the private float application reservation system extends from the Paradise Launch Site to Selway Falls.  The reservation/permit system for this segment is in effect from May 15 to July 31^st and all parties floating that section of river must have a reservation and trip permit. The person holding the reservation must pick up the permit and participate in the trip, no alternate trip leaders will be designated. Reservations and permits are not required outside of the control period for private non-commercial floaters.

One private launch opportunity is reserved each day for 62 days of the control period.  The remaining 16 days are reserved for commercial outfitters with one launch per day. Of the 1,549 applications received in 2002, 54 private permits and 15 commercial permits were granted, which accounted for a total of 752 people and 3,858 use days.

Unassigned, cancelled or unconfirmed launches are allocated (by telephone only) on a first-come, first-served basis after the initial lottery in February and continuing throughout the control period. There is no waiting list. No shows and cancelled trips accounted for a total of 9 unused days during the 2002 control period.

The snow pack for 2002 at 118% of normal on April 28. Nez Perce Pass was opened with a grader on May 13, 2002. Shearer and Moose Creek airfields also provide fly-in access to launch sites on the Nez Perce National Forest.

A detailed report of Selway River use in 2002 is included in the appendix. Trend comparison data from 1996 is available at the Fenn (Nez Perce National Forest) or West Fork (Bitterroot National Forest) Ranger Stations.

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Looking South From Pouliot Trail #30 into Moose Creek Ranger District

TRAIL MAINTENANCE

Trails throughout the Wilderness are maintained with a combination of Forest Service crews, contract crews, and volunteers.  All Forests are conducting condition surveys on 20% of the total trail mileage per Forest annually.  The total number of miles may change slightly each year as mileage is verified during the five-year deferred maintenance survey effort.  Discrepancies in reported trail mileages will be justified when surveys are complete and the INFRA database continues to be updated in 2003.

Across the S-BW, a total of 840 miles of wilderness trails were maintained to at least level I standards. Trail standards are linked to Opportunity Class designations. The following tables clarify terminology related to trails and trail maintenance. Detailed trail work accomplishments on each Forest follow the tables:

Trail Types	Definition
System Trails:	Trails identified on the FS trails inventory and maintained on a routine schedule.
-Mainline	Trails generally maintained annually.
-Secondary	Trails maintained less frequently than mainlines and to a lower standard.
-Way	Trails maintained infrequently. These may be difficult to locate and follow.
Non-system Trails	User made trails not listed on the FS trails inventory and not maintained by FS crews or contract crews. Located in all opportunity classes.
Abandoned Trails	Trails that were identified as system trails but were dropped from the system and are no longer maintained.
Storage Trails	Term used by the Clearwater National Forest to describe system trails that are NOT currently on the maintenance schedule. Storage trails may be reinserted into the maintenance schedule or may be dropped from the system pending a needs assessment.

*Note: Trail conditions can change quickly and can be greatly influenced by weather. The above descriptions are meant to serve as guides for general information, but visitors should contact local Ranger Districts for updated trail conditions and must be prepared to encounter changes in trail conditions.

Trail Maintenance Level	Definition
I	Minimal amount of clearing, marking and repair.
II	Intermediate level of clearing, marking and repair.
III	Significant amount of clearing, marking and repair.

Opportunity Class	Definition
1	Characterized by an unmodified natural environment. Ecological and natural processes are not measurably affected by the actions of users.
2	Characterized by an unmodified natural environment. Ecological and natural processes on some sites are slightly affected by the actions of users.
3	Characterized by an essentially unmodified natural environment. Ecological and natural processes moderately affected by the actions of users.
4	Characterized by a predominately unmodified natural environment. Ecological and natural processes may be substantially affected by the actions of users.

2002 Wilderness Trail Maintenance by Forest and Opportunity Class:

Opportunity Class	1			2			3			4			Total Miles Maintained/ Total Miles per Forest
Maintenance Level	I	II	III	I	II	III	I	II	III	I	II	III
Bitterroot NF:													258.2
Miles Maintained	0	1	0	104.8	4	0	59.2	9	0	57.6	22.6	0
Total Miles	26.9			220			132.3			79.6			458.8
Clearwater NF:													255.7
Miles Maintained	0	0	0	21.2	0	0	188.5	19.6	3	15.4	7.5	.5
Total Miles	0			27.9			259			23.4			310.3
Nez Perce NF:													326.2
Miles Maintained	0	0	0	21.7	0	0	256	0	1.5	47	0	*
Total Miles	12.6			147			491			56			706.6
Miles Maintained/ OC	1			151.7			536.8			150.6			840.1
													1475.7

Maintenance or reconstruction efforts were conducted during 2002 on the following trails:

Bitterroot National Forest:

Canyon Cr. #2, Bass Cr. #4, Selway River #4, Bear Cr. #5, Burnt Strip #5.0, Nez Perce Trail Connect #7.0, Indian Ridge #10, Big Cr. #11, Nez Perce Indian #13.0, Divide North #16.1, Cooper Point #23, Whitecamp #24, Scimitar Ridge #36, Deep Cr./Beaver Jack #37, Fred Burr #38, Spot Mtn/Bad Luck #40, Paloma #50, Kootenai Cr. #53, Lodgepole Hump #61, Sheafman Cr. #82, Tin Cup #96, S. Fork Big Cr. #118, S. Fork Lost Horse #128.2, Trapper Peak #133, Glen Lk. #232, S. Fork Bear #304, Hauf Lk. #309, Blodgett Pass #310, S. Fork Lolo #311, Sears Lk. #312, Blodgett Cr. #319, Lappi Lk. #324, Mill Cr. #364, Halloway Lk. #393, Canyon Cr. #525, Chaffin Cr. #528, Rock Cr. #580, Boulder Cr. #617, Watchtower #699

Clearwater National Forest:

Big Sand Cr. #1, Coolwater #3, Big Sand Lk. #4, Tom Beal Cr. #7, Hidden Lake #9, Hidden Peak, #10, Diablo Mtn #18, Swamp Ridge #22, Pouliot #30, Friday Pass #45, Warm Springs #49, White Sands #50, Siah Lake #59, Army Mule #60, Maud-Dan #70, Hidden Ridge #71, Beaver Meadows #77, Saturday Ridge #89, Storm Cr. #99, Split Cr. #133, Long Lk. #205, Eagle Mountain #206, Indian Meadows #208, Sponge-Freezeout #209, Boulder Cr. #211, McConnell Mtn. #213, Dutch Ridge #215, Surprise Cr. #219, Lochsa Peak #220, Rock Lk. #221, Greenside Butte #222, Cliff Cr. #226, Gold Hill #247, Moose Cr. #486, Frog Peak #906, Pedro Ridge #917, Maple Lk. #939

Nez Perce National Forest:

Selway River Trail #4, Three Links #405, East Moose #421, Lost Horse #430 partial, Mink Peak #438, Barren Hill #446, Wounded Doe #465, Cub Cr. #512, Fry Pan Cr. #515, Bear Cr. #516, Bilk Mtn. #517, Paradise Cr. #522, Ditch Cr. #523, Archer #529, Running Cr. #532, Spruce Cr. #559, Long Prairie – Moose Ridge #562, Copper Butte #602, Disgrace Butte #609, North Moose #618, Bailey Mtn. #619, Rhoda Cr. #620, Upper Buck Lk. #628, Big Rock #693

* During 2002 the Moose Creek Trail Construction Crew replaced three existing bridges within the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness at Ditch Creek, Goat Creek, and Pettibone Creek. A new, packable stringer design was used on these three bridges, eliminating the need for a helicopter to transport stringers to the bridge site. Approximately 45,000 pounds of materials were flown by smokejumper airplane to the public airstrip at Shearer Guard Station. From there, most bridge materials were transported using pack stock to each bridge site. Remaining materials, weighing approximately 2,000 pounds were transported by the Selway River Ranger via raft to one of the bridge sites. No motorized equipment was used to assemble any of the bridges.

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EDUCATION

Education programs are one tool that the Forests use to foster appreciation for the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, while encouraging responsible resource use. Programs typically focus on the value of wilderness, wilderness history and “Leave No Trace” practices in an effort to reduce visitors’ impacts and address problems such as littering, damage to trees, overgrazing, poor sanitation practices and other actions that damage the wilderness resource.

	Bitterroot NF	Clearwater NF	Nez Perce NF	Totals
# Programs presented	10	1	5	16
# Audience members reached	870	45	1500	2,415

Bitterroot National Forest

A long standing program, the Wilderness Skills Trail was presented to 240, 5^th and 6^th grade, Bitterroot Valley students. The program covered wilderness history/philosophy/ethics and Leave-No-Trace camping. In addition to presenting the Skills Trail to school children, a Forest Service grant provided funding to host a Skills Trail training session for Forest Service and BLM personnel (a representative from REI also attended.) The grant funded an upgrade of course equipment/materials and made it possible to digitally format of many of the teaching materials which will facilitate reproduction of the materials and make it possible in the future to share these materials via the internet.

Wilderness Rangers also gave presentations on wilderness management issues, Leave-No-Trace and MIST (Minimum Impact Strategies & Techniques for fires) during District orientations and Regional fire trainings (Managing Wildland Fire Use for Resource Benefit, Resource Advising and the Salmon/Challis National Forest Wilderness Fire Workshop).

Clearwater National Forest

The wilderness program manager conducted a ½ hour wilderness awareness program for 45 FS employees during Powell Ranger District’s annual spring orientation.

Because Powell’s wilderness rangers were brought on during the field season, field contacts took precedent over organized education programs in 2002. However, environmental education programs are traditionally offered for school children in the spring, a program component that will resume in 2003.

Nez Perce National Forest

In cooperation with the Back Country Horsemen, wilderness rangers presented a program for 200, fourth grade students in Grangeville. The program addressed wilderness and land ethics as well as low impact stock camping techniques.

The Moose Creek Ranger District continues to participate in the Reach a Teacher, Touch the World program. During 2002, 12 high school students and 2 teachers from Iowa traveled to Idaho to participate in a trail rehabilitation project near Maple and Isaac Lakes.

District personnel presented a Leave No Trace session for 40, 10^th grade students at the Kooskia High Sophomore Day.

District personnel staffed a low impact camping display at the Big Horn Sports Show in Spokane. The show drew in 34,000 visitors.

18 Wilderness Management Students from Vermillion Community College in Ely, Minnesota received instruction on low impact stock camping practices and wilderness trail maintenance techniques while participating in a week-long trail maintenance project near Indian Hill.

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VOLUNTEERS

Volunteers contribute a substantial amount of time, energy and talent to the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness Program and accomplish a variety of work for all three Forests.  In addition to providing visitor information at many of our wilderness portals, volunteers help pack in project supplies, assist with trail maintenance, cabin restoration and campsite restoration projects. Volunteers also help monitor and collect data for an array of projects throughout the wilderness. All the Forests are grateful for the generous assistance provided by volunteers during 2002.

The following information provides a synopsis of the volunteer efforts in the S-BW during 2002.

	Bitterroot NF	Clearwater NF	Nez Perce NF	Totals
# Volunteers	11	30	104	145
# Volunteer Hours	308	1,268	2,800	4,336

Bitterroot National Forest

Back Country Horsemen BCH members volunteered 308 hours on the Bitterroot National Forest, helping with numerous projects. Chuck Miller packed the Level I Trail Crew in and out of wilderness on a regular basis, helping to free up the Forest Service packers for other projects. Two folks helped roll and pack barbed wire out of North Star Ranch. A cable highline was packed in and set up at Boulder Lake by four volunteers. The big project for the season occurred at Cooper’s Flat, where 4 volunteers spent four days chinking walls and refinishing floors in the historic cabin.

Clearwater National Forest

Back Country Horsemen The North Central Idaho and Twin Rivers Chapters of the BCH volunteered 184 hours to the wilderness program. The North Central Idaho Chapter helped clear trees and rehabilitate a campsite at Wind Lakes. A representative from BCH set up a sample low impact camp at Elk Summit and distributed information to horsemen for a week during hunting season. The Twin Rivers Chapter also helped with trail maintenance and constructed a French drain to alleviate a drainage problem on Boulder Cr. Trail #211.

In addition to organized groups, such as the BCH, the Clearwater had a number of individuals who contacted the Forest looking for volunteer opportunities. Many of these individuals had seen the volunteer section on the Forest’s website and contacted district offices. The following individuals volunteered during 2002:

Elk Summit Station Guard Phil contributed 375 hours, 56 on-duty days, as the Elk Summit Station Guard. In addition to keeping up the station and helping to maintain the area’s facilities, he greeted visitors and did an excellent job of keeping abreast of local trail, area and weather conditions to facilitate information exchange between campers and Forest personnel.

Fish Lake Airstrip Monitoring A series of 4 volunteers monitored plane landings and made visitor contacts at the Fish Lake airstrip for 49 days throughout July, August and September. Jeff, Pat, Steve and Guy volunteered their time, coming from as far away as Connecticut and Wisconsin to help out.

Stanley Hot Springs/7 Lakes Volunteer Ranger Ben, a volunteer from Missoula contributed 30 days to help rangers patrol two of the more popular destinations on the Clearwater’s portion of the S-BW. In addition to naturalizing the area on his visits, he concentrated on disseminating the Leave No Trace message during his visitor contacts.

Horse Camp Maintenance Two volunteers contributed 68 hours assisting with routine maintenance at the Horse Camp Administrative site. Olivia helped clean, paint and open the facility in May and Terry helped clean, and close the facility in September.

Packing Assistance & Trail Maintenance

- Ivan, a long time volunteer for the Clearwater offered 3 days of volunteer service. After packing in supplies to Fish Lake for another volunteer, he helped replace broken rails on the airstrip’s hitching posts and worked on trail maintenance in the area.

- Carston and Norbert, two students from Germany spent a day helping to clear trails in the S-BW with the wilderness ranger.

- Terry, a volunteer from Whitefish, MT assisted the wilderness ranger with packing, stock care and trail maintenance during a 6 day trip to inspect fall hunting camps.

Nez Perce National Forest

Back Country Horsemen BCH presented wilderness education for adults, students and hunters. They contributed to trail and facility maintenance and provided packing support for projects. They assisted with weed inventories and campsite clean-up.

IDOWA and ISEC Iowa teachers and students participated in rehabilitation of heavily impacted campsites and abandoned trails, where trails are reconstructed or rerouted. In 2002 they worked on campsites and trail rehabilitation projects at Maple and Isaac Lakes. Teachers developed education projects and programs in the wilderness and returned to Iowa to implement the projects in their classrooms.

Selway River Raft Guides 8 expert boatmen assist the river ranger on patrols each season. They also help naturalize river campsites and pull weeds.

Vermilion Community College Students 18 students worked for four days, opening trails near Indian Hill.

Boy Scouts Two troops of Boy scouts each volunteered to pull weeds and brush trails for one day.

Idaho Pilots Association Hosted the Moose Creek air field on key weekends. They organized work parties for airfield maintenance and camp area cleanup.

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Bear Mountain Lookout and Cabin

FIRE

 A total of 46 fires in the S-BW burned 5,083 wilderness acres during 2002. Of those 46 fires, 45 were started by lightning. Fire events ranged in size from 0.1 acre up to 1,350 acres.

	Bitterroot NF	Clearwater NF	Nez Perce NF	Totals
# S-B Wilderness Fire Events	11	9	26	46
# lightning caused	10	9	26	45
# Acres burned	2,237.25	298.2	2,548	5,083.45
Range in size of fires (acres)	0.1 to 136	0.1 to 240	0.1 to 1350	0.1 to 1,350
# Mechanical Use Authorizations granted?	4	1	6	11

In some instances, fires ignited by lightning in the S-BW were allowed to burn as Wildland Fire Use Fires. Wildland Fire Use is the management of naturally ignited fires to achieve resource benefits, where fire is a major component of the ecosystem. Many natural resource values can be enhanced by allowing fire to play its natural role, especially in vast acreages of wilderness where private property and social values can be protected.

For centuries lightning caused fires have created vegetative diversity and thus a mixture of wildlife habitats, while eliminating heavy fuel accumulation. Wildland fire use can be managed to burn in a natural way to provide benefits to the resources until fall rain or snow storms put the fire out. Wildland fires are a fact of western life - a natural component of the wilderness ecosystem.

Heslip Fire August 23, 2002

Bitterroot National Forest

The portion of the S-BW on the Stevensville District was included in the S-BW Fire Management Plan in 1998. The Big Hidden Fire of 2002 was the first fire since the inclusion to be managed as a Wildland Fire for Resource Benefit. Big Hidden Fire was a late season, remote, high elevation fire, caused by lightning, that burned out naturally at a ¼ of an acre without threatening the urban interface. The fire was monitored from St. Mary’s Lookout. Resource benefits from this fire include fuel reduction and ecological succession.

Lightning sparked the Wahoo Fire during mid-August and it quickly spread from the S-BW portion of the Nez Perce National Forest to the non-wilderness Twin Lakes Campground area on the Darby District of the Bitterroot National Forest. The fire was suppressed and Resource Advisors worked with crews to minimize wilderness and resource impacts caused by the fire.

Bear Mountain Lookout

Clearwater National Forest

There were 3 Wildland Fire Use (WFU) events on the Powell District’s portion of the S-BW. These included the Cedar Fire (49.5 acres), Heslip Fire (240 acres) and the Boundary Fire (0.1 acre). These fires were monitored from above, but no action was taken to contain or suppress the fires. There were no fire events on the Lochsa District’s portion of the S-BW.

Nez Perce National Forest
Fourteen of the 26 fires on the Moose Cr. District were placed in Wildland Fire Use status (WFU).

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WILDERNESS DAMS

There are 16 privately operated dams in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, all located on the Bitterroot National Forest.  Many of the dams were constructed 100 years ago and deteriorating conditions have raised safety concerns related to downstream occupancies. An EIS for work on Canyon Dam will be released in June of 2003, with proposed work to begin later in the summer. NEPA will begin on Mill Dam during the winter of 2003/2004.

Activities in 2002 involved routine maintenance on most dams, geo-technical drilling at Canyon Dam and repairs at Mill Dam. Motorized equipment was authorized at Bass, Fred Burr High Lake, Big Creek, Mill, Sheafman and Canyon Dams. Mechanized transport was authorized at Canyon, Mill and Tin Cup Dams for heavy equipment.

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WILDERNESS AIRFIELDS

Although motorized and mechanized means of transport are generally not allowed in wilderness areas, use of aircraft to specific airfields within the S-BW predates the Primitive Area classification and was permitted by both the Primitive and Wilderness classifications, subject to certain restrictions and limitations. Emergency landings for fire, search and rescue and law enforcement are allowed outside of the airstrips in the S-BW at the discretion of managers. The S-BW contains 3 existing public airstrips; Fish Lake, Moose Creek and Shearer.

The airfields are meant to function as internal portals for users pursuing wilderness dependent activities (defined as activities requiring a setting “where the imprint of man’s work is substantially unnoticeable” and which provide “opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation.”).  As such, short term visits and proficiency landings are discouraged in an effort to minimize disturbance which is not compatible with a wilderness experience. Administrative access to the S-BW is managed according to the minimum tool principle, where pack stock and foot travel are the preferred methods of access.

The S-BW general management direction identifies 2 indicators to evaluate the level of airfield use; 1) number of landings/day/airfield, and 2) number of landings/year/airfield. Standards for S-BW airfield use will be determined from the results of 4 years of reliable data collection per airfield and a study to determine the perceptions of all wilderness user types regarding aircraft use in the S-BW.

2002 Monitored Landings on S-BW Airfields

	Clearwater NF	Nez Perce NF		Total
	Fish Lake	Moose Cr.	Shearer
# of Monitoring Days	52	200	Not Consistently Monitored in 2002	252
Private	60	492		552
Administrative for Facility	0	6		6
Other FS Administrative	6	11		17
Fire	2	13		15
Outfitters	13	10		23
Total	81	532		613

Clearwater National Forest

Fish Lake airstrip was accessible from approximately July 1^st to November 1^st during 2002. A series of 4 volunteers monitored landings at the airstrip from July 11^th through Sept 29^th. This was the first year that the airstrip was consistently monitored throughout the season. Flight patterns varied during the season; 1-3 landings per day were typical in July and August. During September, there were fewer days with landings, however the average number of landings on those days increased to 5.

Nez Perce National Forest 

The Moose Creek airfield has two landing strips. One is a short strip, which is accessible year-long. The other is a long airstrip that is closed to use when it becomes soft due to excessive moisture. Personnel at Moose Creek monitored the airfield from April 21 to November 17. There were about 12 days that the airfield was not monitored. The Idaho Pilots Association continues to host the airstrip on key weekends. They educate backcountry pilots on low impact aircraft use and do maintenance on the airfield and camp area.

Aircraft landings in 2002 were down 132 from the 670 recorded in 2001. This use appears to show a stable trend, as there were 545 landings in 2000. July, August and September are the highest use period; with an average of 103 landings per month. Most private visitors are fishing, hiking or camping.

Aircraft landings at Shearer Airstrip were not monitored on a consistent basis during 2002. The bridge construction crew basing out of the site noted some landings, however they were away from the site during most hours when landing opportunities existed.

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AUTHORIZATION FOR MECHANICAL USES

The Wilderness Act generally prohibits motorized equipment or mechanized transport in designated wilderness areas; however, it does allow for motorized/mechanized use "as necessary to meet minimum requirements for the administration of the area for the purpose of this Act (including measures required in emergencies involving the health and safety of persons within the area)."

In accordance with the purpose of the Act, the “minimum tool" principle will be applied to the management of all resources within the Selway-Bitterrroot Wilderness. This means that the minimum management actions necessary to correct a given problem will be identified and methods and equipment which accomplish the objectives with the least impact on the physical, biological and social characteristics of wilderness will be used. All decisions pertaining to administrative practices and use of equipment in wilderness will be based on this concept.

Potential disruption of wilderness character and resources and applicable safety concerns will be considered before, and given significantly more weight than, economic efficiency. If some compromise of wilderness resources or character is unavoidable, only those actions that have localized, short-term adverse impacts will be authorized. Such management activities will be conducted in accordance with all applicable regulations, policies, and guidelines and, where practicable, will be scheduled to avoid creating adverse resource impacts or conflicts with visitors experiences.

In an effort to break the decision process into logical, sequential steps, the Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center developed and refined a “Minimum Requirement Decision Guide (MRDG) in 2002. The guide is an optional tool meant to help wilderness administrators analyze and compare proposed actions in order to minimize negative impacts to wilderness character and value.

The following chart identifies mechanical use authorizations granted in the S-BW in 2002 and notes whether the new MRDC was used to assist with the decision-making process.

	Start Date of Activity	Type of Use	Minimum Requirement Decision Guide Used?
Bitterroot NF	5 / 6 / 02	Big Creek Trail project: Punjar drill was authorized but not actually used.	Yes
	5 / ? / 02	Tin Cup Dam: Helicopter	Yes
	7 / 2 / 02	Boulder Creek Trail project: Wheelbarrow during turnpike construction.	Yes
	7 / 12 / 02	Little Clearwater Fire: Helicopter and chain saw	Yes
	8 / 18/ 02	Wahoo Fire: Helicopter, pumps and chain saws	No
	7/ 8 / 02	Koch Fire: Helicopter, chain saw	No
	10 / 2 / 02	Bass Dam: chain saw	*
	10 / 1 / 02	Fred Burr High Lake Dam: chain saw	Yes
	9 / 14 / 02	Big Creek Lake Dam: chain saw	No
	10 / 5 / 02	Sheafman Dam: chain saw	*
	9 / 20 / 02	Mill Dam: Helicopter, chain saw, pump & generator	*
	9 / 6 / 02	Canyon Dam: Helicopter, drill rig, earth auger, electric pump, generator, power grinder	*
* = Information not available at time of printing
Clearwater NF	8 / 02 / 02	Helicopter for sling load drop	no
Nez Perce NF	7 / 19 / 02	Emergency fire use, sling load	no
	7 / 27 / 02	Emergency fire use, sling load	no
	8 / 06 / 02	Emergency fire use, sling load, pump, chain saw.	no
	8 / 06 / 02	Emergency fire use, helicopter, bucket work.	no
	8 / 21 / 02	Emergency fire use, helicopter, sling loads	no
	8 / 31 / 02	Emergency fire use, chain saw	no

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WEED OCCURRENCE AND SUPPRESSION

Noxious and invasive weeds continue to exist along travel routes, in suitable habitat, and along rivers and streams.  Weed seed free feed is now required on all Forest lands in both Montana and Idaho.

Bitterroot National Forest

Gilbert Gale was hired in 2002 as the Range Management Specialist for the Bitterroot National Forest. He will oversee the noxious weed management program on the forest, which includes monitoring, education and treatment of noxious and invasive weeds in the S-BW (the 1997 Westside Trail Noxious Weed Prevention Environmental Assessment authorized spraying on 15 wilderness trail corridors).

Monitoring during the last 10 years has identified widespread noxious weeds that include Knapweed, Canada Thistle and Oxeye Daisy. Recently, Sulfur Cinquefoil, Tall Buttercup (scattered on most trails, but significant in the 7 Mile Meadow of Blodgett), Common Tansy (trace amounts along Rock and Bass Creek Trails), and Goatweed (along Sweathouse Trail before the Wilderness Boundary, in an isolated ½ acre patch in the South Fork of Sweeney Creek and on Sawtooth Trail) have been identified.

Education efforts range from posting information at trailheads, contacting stock users about weed-seed-free feed requirements and school programs that include tips on reducing the introduction of noxious weeds. In 2002, a total of 5 acres were treated on 14 west side trails.

Clearwater National Forest

The spread of noxious weeds continues to be a concern on the Clearwater National Forest. Spotted Knapweed is the most common weed below 4,000 ft and is at the greatest risk of spreading to the interior of the wilderness from wilderness portals along Hwy 12. A variety of thistles, Sulfur Cinquefoil, Hounds-tongue and Oxeye Daisy were also noted by Wilderness Rangers along certain trail segments and heavily used campsites. When rangers encountered small concentrations of weeds the patches were hand grubbed and recorded for future monitoring.

Boulder Cr. #211 has experienced a significant spread of knapweed approaching 3 acres in size at the junction to Stanley Hot Springs. Rangers hand grubbed weeds beyond this point, but a larger scale effort will be necessary to stop further spread. Rangers and recreation personnel also hand-grubbed a 0.5 acre patch of knapweed that emerged at Colt Killed Cr. Trailhead. This patch seemed confined to the parking area and will continue to be monitored and pulled to prevent spread into the wilderness from this portal.

Education programs in place consist of requirements for weed-seed-free hay, posted information at trailheads and BCH trailhead education effort in the fall, where information on low impact camping and weed-seed-free requirements are distributed. Wilderness rangers also check for weed-seed-free hay compliance during visits to both private and outfitter camps in the fall.

Nez Perce National Forest

Moose Creek Ranger District continues an integrated noxious weed program in the S-BW that includes:

Inventory and early detection: Selway River Trail #4 is inventoried each year for new invaders. The distribution of Spotted Knapweed is mapped on this trail and other trails by rangers and volunteers.

Treatment: The Indian Hill, Fog Mountain and Race Creek trailheads and stock facilities were sprayed. The Back Country Horsemen of North Central Idaho sprayed Selway River Trail #4 to the wilderness boundary. No chemical treatments were applied within the S-BW. Small isolated populations were hand grubbed by wilderness rangers and volunteers. The Selway River Ranger pulls spotted knapweed at campsites along the river.

Biocontrol: The Nez Perce National Forest in a cooperative agreement with the BIO-Control Center of the Nez Perce Tribe collects, rears and distributes insects to attack spotted knapweed. These agents are distributed along trails and in areas of high weed concentration.

Weed-free forage: Each fall volunteers and Wilderness Rangers staff check points at key trailheads that receive heavy stock use. They check for compliance of tags that meet weed-free standards in Idaho and Montana.

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STOCK IMPROVEMENTS

In the past, stock users did not have adequate facilities at trailheads to accommodate their needs, such as feed bunks, unloading ramps, and hitch rails. Over the past ten years, the Forests have been consistently improving stock facilities and accommodations at wilderness trailheads. The following information summarizes these improvements.

Bitterroot National Forest

A majority of Bitterroot National Forest trails are maintained to accommodate a range of challenges/experiences for stock users. An extensive trails program includes work to address stock safety concerns. In an average year, one or two S-BW trails receive major reconstruction and 200-300 miles of trail are maintained.

2002 -Chaffin, Big Creek and South Fork Lolo trails: Trails reconstructed, in part, to address

safety concerns related to stock use as identified by Irrigation Districts or outfitters.

-Boulder Lake: Cable highline installed to concentrate stock containment sites.

Over the last ten years, work on numerous trailheads has benefited stock users. Big Creek, Bear Creek and Bass Creek trailheads were reconstructed / reconfigured for improved traffic flow, safety and to segregate the parking of stock vehicles. A handicapped accessible ramp for mounting stock was installed as part of the Lake Como stock trailhead/campground construction project. A new trailhead facility was constructed in Fred Burr after public access became available. Stock ramps are maintained and repaired when necessary (including Mill Creek during 2001).

Clearwater National Forest

In addition to routine maintenance of loading ramps, hitch rails and watering tanks at trailheads along the northern border of the S-BW, all trail bridges are inspected on a four-year rotation and suspension bridges across the Lochsa are inspected every other year.

Major improvements on the Clearwater that benefit stock users are listed below:

2002 -Routine maintenance of loading ramps at trailheads along Hwy 12.

2001 -Warm Springs, Split Cr. Eagle and Mocus Bridges: Replaced deteriorating rails, curb bolts and nuts and tightened all hardware.

-Mocus Bridge: Cleaned and repaired steel at cable and anchor connections.

2000 -Warm Springs Bridge: Replaced towers and cap beams, delineated parking and bridge access.

1999 -Mocus Bridge: Patched hole in the deck.

-Warm Springs Trailhead: Built new unloading ramp.

-Storm Cr. Bridge: Reinforced scoured abutment, repaired side rail and toe plate.

1998 -Mocus & Eagle Bridges: Replaced all needle beams and running planks.

1997 -Mocus Bridge: Replaced beams on both towers.

1995 -Wilderness Gateway Campground: Feed bunks and hitch rails installed.

1989 -Elk Summit: 2 camping loops with 2 toilets and 14 campsites were installed. Parking was designed to accommodate horse trailers. Hitch rails and watering facilities were also installed.

1988 -Split Cr. Trailhead: Hitch rails and watering troughs were installed.

Nez Perce National Forest

2002 -Pettibone, Ditch and Goat Cr. Bridges: All reconstructed using a new packable stringer design.

2000 -Race Cr. trailhead: Reconstructed trailhead that included a new stock unloading ramp, feed bunks, hitch rails and improved parking area.

1997 -East Moose Cr. suspension bridge: Reconstructed bridge.

1992 -Bear Cr. suspension bridge: Reconstructed bridge.

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Ranger Peak

ADMINISTRATIVE SITES

Administration of the S-BW for the purposes for which it was established, entails maintenance of certain structures and facilities both within (W) and immediately adjacent (A) to the Wilderness. The following list identifies use at these sites during 2002.

Bitterroot National Forest

-St. Mary’s Lookout: (W) Used for approximately 50 days.

-Cooper’s Flat Cabin: (W) Used for 17 days.

-Paradise: (A) Staffed from May 18 through August 3, 2002 with a FS employee who worked Saturday through Monday and holidays.

Clearwater National Forest

-Horse Camp: (W) Used approximately 20 days by Trail contract administrators and wilderness rangers on backcountry patrol.

-Fish Lake: (W) Used approximately 54 days by volunteers monitoring the airstrip and by wilderness rangers on backcountry patrol.

-Diablo Lookout: (W) Intact structure, not staffed

-McConnell Mountain Lookout: (W) Deteriorating structure, not staffed

-Grave Peak Lookout: (W) Deteriorating structure, not staffed

-Hidden Peak Lookout: (W) Deteriorating structure, not staffed.

-Bear Mountain Lookout: (A) Staffed July through Aug with a lookout

-Beaver Ridge Lookout: (A) staffed July through Sept with a lookout

-Lochsa Historic Station: (A) Staffed by volunteers from May to Oct

-Elk Summit Guard Station: (A) Staffed by a volunteer from July 22 to Sept 13th

-Colt Creek Cabin: (A) Deteriorating cabin, not staffed

Nez Perce National Forest

-Moose Creek Ranger Station: (W) Staffed from April 21 through November 17. The station serves as a base of operations for trail crews, fire crews and wilderness rangers.

-Shearer Guard Station: (W) Used for 80 days by the bridge construction crew.

-Selway Falls Guard Station: (A) Used for 40 days by a variety of FS crews.

-Lost Horse Guard Station: (A) Used 30 days by trail crews, wilderness rangers and Back County Horsemen volunteers.

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Bunchberry Dogwood

RESEARCH

The Wilderness Act specifically refers to the value of wilderness to science. Because wilderness areas encompass an array of habitat types and provide homes for a wide range of organisms in a relatively undisturbed setting, these areas offer rich opportunities for research. In the S-BW, research needs are prioritized annually. Projects must be approved by the Forest Supervisor and must be conducted so as to preserve the natural conditions of the wilderness with the imprint of human work substantially unnoticed. Research must be carried out in a manner consistent with opportunity class requirements and avoid impacting users’ pursuits of isolation in opportunity classes 1, 2 and 3.

The following research is currently underway in the S-BW:

Bitterroot National Forest

The Bitterroot National Forest has six research projects that include areas located in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. Three of these are related to effects of the 2000 fires (on fisheries, weed populations, and forest plots inventoried prior to the fires). There is an on-going study of fish populations and another of Columbia Spotted Frogs. The last research project is follow-up to a study conducted in 1989 that looked at changes in campsites and trails assessed in the 1970’s.

Contact for all projects: Sharon Ritter (406) 363-7115.

Clearwater National Forest

Lolo Pass Redevelopment Project: composed of multiple studies including, Impact of Hwy 12 on Fishers and Evaluating Wolverine and Lynx Movements: USDA FS, Rocky Mountain Research Station: 2000-2005. Data is being collected to help understand populations, home ranges and movement patterns of fishers, wolverines and lynx in relation to the highway and other landscape features.

Contact: Mike K. Schwartz (406) 542-4161

Temperature Monitoring for Fish Bearing Streams: Clearwater National Forest: 1999-2005. Monitoring provides year-round temperature data on 4 creeks within the S-BW to determine if the streams meet Cold Water Biota Standards. Contact: Pat Murphy (208) 476-4541

Nez Perce National Forest

Permanent Vegetative Plots: USDA FS: Ogden Forestry Science Lab, Rocky Mountain Research Station: Moose Creek Ranger District. These plots will provide baseline data for tracking changes in vegetation over time. Contact: John Huston (801) 625-5691

PIT Tagging of Juvenile Steelhead Trout: Idaho Dept. Fish and Game with assistance from the Nez Perce National Forest: North Moose Creek: 2002: Data collected is important for understanding fish survival from juvenile to adult stage, as well as for tracking migratory activity in the Columbia River Basin.

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LAW ENFORCEMENT

In addition to Law Enforcement Officers (LEO’s) who work on each Forest, some districts have wilderness personnel who are authorized Forest Protection Officers (FPO’s) and are trained in Level II law enforcement. LEO’s and FPO’s record incidents that occur in the wilderness and have the authority to issue violation notices when CFRs (Code of Federal Regulations) are disregarded by visitors. In 2002, a total of 87 incidents were reported in the S-BW and 3 violation notices were issued. A breakdown of incidents is provided below:

	Bitterroot NF	Clearwater NF	Nez Perce NF	Total
# Law Enforcement Personnel	3	4	2	9
# Incident reports written	75	8	3	86
# Violation notices written	0	2	2	4

Bitterroot National Forest

Incident Reports: 131 Minor litter

34 Excessive litter (beyond microtrash)

10 Sanitation

3 Vandalism or theft to signs

4 User constructed facilities

1 Caching

2 Escaped campfires (1 escalated to a fire management incident)

Clearwater National Forest

Incident Reports: 8 Snowmobile use inside of wilderness (Jan)

Violation Notices: 1 User constructed trail (Sept)*

1 Salting (Sept)*

*Powell Ranger District personnel discovered an unauthorized, user-created, trail located in the Hidden

Creek Drainage. A Special Order was issued to close the trail to all travel until the area is rehabilitated.

A Forest Service law enforcement investigation is pending.

Nez Perce National Forest

Incident Reports: 2 Fish and Wildlife issue (June/July)

1 Airplane wreck (Sept)

Violating Notices: 2 Violation of terms & conditions of permit (June/Aug)

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South Fork Lake looking towards Twin Peaks

OUTFITTERS

Thirty-five outfitters operated under special use permits in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness during 2002.  Outfitters provide hunting, fishing, horse camping, day trips, backpacking, hiking, photography, and river rafting opportunities. They report client use days (numbers of clients x numbers of days) and pay fees accordingly. 

Outfitters and guides pay 3% of their gross revenue in use fees.  A portion of these fees comes back to the Forests in the form of Outfitter and Guide “Fee Demo” dollars.  These dollars are used for trail maintenance and reconstruction, wilderness education, wilderness field presence, trailhead improvements, and other services that benefit both public users and outfitters. 

*Note: Client use days in Wilderness, as reported below are approximations. While Outfitters are permitted a certain number of client use days, use is not specifically recorded as “inside” or “outside” of wilderness. Some Outfitters have camps adjacent to wilderness and operate a portion of their trips on both sides of the wilderness boundary.

	# Outfitters	# Client Use Days in Wilderness (Days actually used)	# Established Camps Used
Bitterroot NF	18	3,249	35
Clearwater NF	7	1,162	21
Nez Perce NF	10	1,547	26
Total	35	5,958	82

Nez Perce National Forest

The Nez Perce National Forest has an additional 7 Outfitters that have camps in S-BW whose permits are administered by the Bitterroot and Clearwater National Forests.

The Nez Perce also had 3 Outfitters take non-use during the fall, big-game hunting season, which significantly reduced the number of client days in 2002.

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USE MONITORING

Visitors to the S-BW pursue a variety of activities including: hiking, horseback riding, fishing, hunting, photography, nature study, swimming, mountain climbing and numerous other forms of recreation. Monitoring the types and amount of use that occur in the S-BW is essential to preventing degradation of wilderness qualities while providing a range of primitive and unconfined recreational opportunities. Standards exist within each opportunity class for both site and social indicators in order to effectively protect the wilderness resource and trigger management action should unacceptable conditions develop.

Social indicators include the # of other parties encountered each day and the number of other parties camped within site or sound of a campsite. Site indicators are measured by the number of sites per square mile and by the sites per impact rating per square mile (impacts assigned according to the Limits of Acceptable Change system).

Both site and social indicators are monitored by wilderness rangers during their time in the field. Site indicators are measured at each campsite a minimum of once every five years. Each year, wilderness rangers visit a percentage of campsites within their district and conduct complete campsite inventories, however they typically visit and naturalize a number of sites in addition to those slotted for an official inventory. During 2002, rangers visited and monitored 247 campsites. Specific site monitoring data can be found in the appendix to this document.

Visitor registration cards and field encounters provide information on social indicators. While the voluntary registration cards used in the S-BW do not provide a complete picture of the number of wilderness users in the S-BW, they do provide a reference for a minimum level of use at a particular portal. In an effort to encourage users to fill out these cards, field rangers redesigned the form in 2002 to make it simpler. The new Visitor Travel Log focuses on a group’s characteristics and destination rather than specific personal information. The new forms will be distributed to portals beginning in 2003.

The S-BW has also begun the process of integrating a new database called INFRA WILD, to help organize and track use monitoring data. The S-BW is one of the first wilderness areas to adopt this database and sent a number of wilderness rangers to training in the fall of 2002 to learn how to operate the database. Rangers will begin entering test data in 2003 as the system design is adapted to the management direction set out for the S-BW.

The following table summarizes the number of groups and individuals that wilderness rangers encountered in the field during 2002. The table includes both trail encounters as well as interactions at the Fish Lake and Moose Cr. Airstrips/remote workstations.

Wilderness Encounters Data From Wilderness Rangers

	Bitterroot NF	Clearwater NF	Nez Perce NF	Total
# Groups Contacted	94	243	NA	337
# Visitors Contacted	237	442	900	1,579
Equestrian	84	95	*See comments below	179
Day hikers	70	176		236
Backpackers	83	152		235
Pilots	0	11		11

Clearwater National Forest

Because multiple encounters with the same “Group” of Outfitters, Contractors and other Forest Service personnel were more likely than multiple encounters with the same group of private individuals in the backcountry, only the first encounter with the same Group is recorded in the above table. Individuals who arrived by plane were identified as: Pilots (those whose sole purpose was to drop or pick up visitors or gear), day hikers or backpackers (overnighters) depending on the length of their stay.

Nez Perce National Forest

No systematic trail encounter data was collected by Wilderness Rangers in 2002.

Wilderness Rangers at Moose Creek Ranger Station recorded over 900 visitors to the station. The majority of the visitors arrived at the Station by airplane. Boaters floating the Selway River comprised the second largest group of visitors, followed by backpackers then stock users.

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AWARDS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Numerous volunteers and Forest Service employees contribute an immeasurable amount of dedication, hard work and enthusiasm into the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness program each year. The following individuals and groups were recognized for their outstanding efforts in 2002.

Clearwater National Forest

-Carol Hennessey, a Forest Service employee on the Lochsa District was recognized by the Idaho Outfitter and Guide Association for her outstanding work as an outfitter and guide administrator.

-The Wilderness program on the Clearwater was pleased to present 5 volunteers, who served as station guards and backcountry rangers, with keepsake awards and certificates of appreciation to recognize their commitment to wilderness and their enthusiastic efforts to provide visitors with current information and promote Leave No Trace practices.

-Both the North Central Idaho and Twin Rivers chapters of the Backcountry Horsemen were also recognized with certificates of appreciation for their many contributions to wilderness trails program.

Nez Perce National Forest

-The North Central Chapter of the Backcountry Horsemen of Idaho sent certificates of appreciation to the bridge construction crew for a job well done.

-The Nez Perce National Forest presented trail maintenance mile awards to those members who had accomplished thousands of miles of volunteer trail work for the Forest Service.

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Links to Forest Web Sites

	Forest Web Sites
	Nez Perce National Forest Route 2, Box 475 Grangeville, ID 83530 (208) 983-1950 Bitterroot National Forest 1801 North 1^st Street Hamilton, MT 59840 (406) 363-7100 Clearwater National Forest 12730 Highway 12 Orofino, ID 83544 (208) 476-4541 Lolo National Forest Fort Missoula Building 24 Missoula, MT 59804 (406) 329-3750

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