The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Butte Field Office (BFO) has completed a Categorical Exclusion (CE) for the Little Wolf Forest Management Project (DOI-BLM-MT-B070-2025-0016-CE). Implementation of the Proposed Action would involve uneven-aged thinning of both live and dead trees. Treatment objectives would include decreasing conifer density to improve forest health, reducing hazardous fuels and wildfire hazard, and recovering economic value of timber. Timber harvest would follow a “Designation by Description” where most lodgepole pine would be removed, Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine would be thinned to a target basal area of 0-60 ft2/acre. Limber pine would be retained. Up to 0.25 miles of temporary road would be constructed to facilitate access to the treatment unit. Implementation of commercial operations are contingent on funding, timber markets, and workload priorities but would be completed over approximately 2 years, likely beginning in 2026. Standard BLM BFO timber sale design features, as described in the Little Wolf Forest Management CE, would be incorporated into the timber sale contract.

The decision described in this document is a forest management decision, and as described in § 5003.2, is effective immediately. The filing of a petition for stay pending appeal under 43 CFR part 4 shall not automatically suspend the effect of a forest management decision issued under § 5003.2. The BLM has revised the forest management regulations at 43 CFR 5000, and those revised regulations became effective on January 19, 2021. The Final Rule was published in the Federal Register on December 18, 2020 (85 FR 82359). In the Final Rule, the BLM eliminated the administrative protest provisions formerly found at 43 C.F.R. §5003.3; accordingly, there is no opportunity to administratively protest this forest management decision.

This decision may be appealed to the Interior Board of Land Appeals (IBLA), Office of Hearings and Appeals, in accordance with the regulations contained in 43 CFR Part 4. The notice of appeal must be filed no later than 30 days after the date of receiving notice of this decision. Any notice of appeal must be filed with the IBLA and must include a copy of the decision being appealed, a statement of standing, and a statement of timeliness.

If you wish to file a petition for a stay of the effectiveness of this decision during the time that your appeal is being reviewed by the Board, the petition for a stay must show sufficient justification based on the following criteria at 43 CFR 4.405(b).

The appellant must serve a copy of the notice of appeal and any accompanying documents on the office of the officer who made the decision (BLM - Butte Field Office, ATTN: Lindsey Babcock, 106 North Parkmont, Butte, MT 59701), each person or entity named in the decision, and the appropriate Office of the Solicitor (Billings Field Office, Rocky Mountain Region, U.S. Department of the Interior, 2021 4th Avenue North, Suite 112, Billings, MT 59101) at the time of filing with IBLA (see 43 CFR 4.403(b); 4.407(b)). Service on a party known to be represented by an attorney or other designated representative must be made on the representative. If a statement of reasons for the appeal is not included with the notice of appeal, it must be filed within 30 days after the record on appeal is filed with the IBLA. Failure to file a statement of reasons within the time required will subject the challenged decision to summary affirmance (see 43 CFR 4.412(a)).