BIGFORK — The tree removal requiring the closure of Montana Highway 35 — which was previously scheduled for Monday, January 29, has been rescheduled to Thursday, February 1.
Highway 35, south of Woods Bay, near Fishing Rock Lane, is expected to close to traffic between 10 a.m. and noon on Thursday.
The project — which will remove a dead tree — is a partnership between Flathead Electric Cooperative (FEC), the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT), and the US Forest Service (USFS).
Two cranes and several crews will assist with the tree’s removal. The closure is weather-dependent and will be rescheduled in case of high winds or plowing priorities as required by MDT.
The nearby Bear Dance Trail, USFS Trail #76, will also be closed in both directions on the day in question.
The tree that will be removed is over 110 feet tall and located on the east side of the road at approximately mile marker 23. The tree, dead for many years, has significant rot around its base. Without removal, it is expected to fall across Montana 35, a news release notes.
“The tree’s location above MT 35 makes it extremely difficult to safely remove. However, if it were to fall, the resulting power outage would likely be prolonged, because of the limited access we have to bring in new power poles and re-string wire," FEC Integrated Services Manager Amanda Opp shared. "Being proactive is the right thing to do for the public, and greatly decreases the risk of the tree falling into the wires and sparking a wildfire.”
The tree is home to an unoccupied osprey nest and several biologists from federal and state agencies were consulted about the tree’s removal.
“From the start, we were sensitive to the osprey nest, and reached out to the USFS, the US Biological Station at Flathead Lake, and Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks to ensure there were no nesting osprey in the tree, and that if the tree was removed, there would be suitable options in the area for any osprey that may return in the spring," Opp noted.
Ospreys migrate seasonally and are not expected to return to Northwest Montana until April. The tree’s removal is not expected to impact the birds. However, the nest will be inspected again on the day of the removal.
A brief power outage may occur during the road closure. Co-op members can receive updates at Outage Center - Flathead Electric Cooperative.
