Snowshoe Granite Categorical Exclusion
Supporting NEPA compliance through Montana’s Good Neighbor Authority program
Morrison-Maierle completed specialist resource reports and NEPA documentation for the Snowshoe Granite 1000 Roadside Fuelbreak project in Libby, Montana.
To help protect the Libby, Montana, community from the threat of wildland fire, the Montana DNRC partnered with the Kootenai National Forest Interdisciplinary Team to develop the environmental documentation for the Snowshoe Granite 1000 Roadside Fuelbreak Project. This project was part of the DNRC Good Neighbor Authority program, which empowers the DNRC to partner with the Forest Service to manage and restore federal lands using state procedures, personnel, and contracts.
The project reduces hazardous fuel conditions along 1,300 acres of forestland in the wildland-urban interface, creating a buffer zone where fire can be more easily controlled. Proactive fuel management increases the chances of success for wildland firefighters in controlling wildfires that threaten communities and private and public lands. This dual-purpose project also supplies timber to the local industry.
Morrison-Maierle provided contract NEPA services in support of a Categorical Exclusion. Our natural resource scientists worked alongside the Forest Service’s Interdisciplinary Team to assess wildlife, botany, soils, and hydrology conditions. We prepared the required resource reports, conducted field surveys, and ensured the project aligned with the Kootenai Forest Plan—all while meeting agency expectations and deadlines.
Highlights and Services
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Biological assessment
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Biological evaluation
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Botany survey
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Categorical exclusion
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Contract NEPA
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Forest plan consistency evaluation
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Good Neighbor Authority consulting
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Hydrology and aquatics
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NEPA compliance
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Soil survey
NEPA Support for Forest Health and Community Protection
To meet NEPA compliance requirements, Morrison-Maierle provided a full suite of natural resource surveys and specialist reports for the Snowshoe Granite Fuelbreak Project. Our work enabled the Forest Service and DNRC to proceed with the project while avoiding sensitive species and habitats.
Project highlights:
- Botany surveys identified sensitive plant species and flagged areas to avoid.
- Soil surveys evaluated detrimental soil disturbance and coarse woody debris within the project area.
- Hydrology and aquatics evaluations ensured haul roads were suitable for heavy equipment and flagged areas at risk for offloading sediment into nearby streams with larger vehicle traffic.
- Biological evaluations helped document potential project impacts on species like the black swift, harlequin duck, little brown myotis, and northern bog lemming.
- The Forest Plan Consistency Evaluation confirmed that the proposed treatments aligned with the Kootenai National Forest’s long-term management goals.
This thorough documentation gave the DNRC and Forest Service confidence in the project’s environmental compatibility—and set the foundation for successful implementation.
Partnering with the Good Neighbor Authority
The Snowshoe Granite project marked Morrison-Maierle’s first collaboration under Montana’s Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) program, which allows state agencies to assist the U.S. Forest Service with land management projects on federal lands.
Our team worked closely with Kootenai National Forest specialists to align our technical deliverables with the forest’s internal processes and standards. Though this required learning new procedures and preferences, our collaborative approach helped the project stay on schedule and within scope—while fostering strong relationships that will streamline future GNA work.
Combining ecological expertise, interagency coordination, and geographic familiarity with northwestern Montana helped the DNRC and Forest Service meet fire mitigation goals while protecting critical ecological resources.
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