Bioregion Spotlight:
The Great Burn Roadless Area

The Great Burn, as it is known, straddles the Montana Idaho border about 30 miles west of Missoula, Montana. The Great Burn got its name from a 1910 fire that burned much of the area. As part of the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act (NREPA) the Burn encompasses approximately 270,000 acres of wild public land which helps form a vital biological link between the Selway-Bitterroot country to the south and the Cabinet-Yaak wildlands to the north.

Not as high and "craggy" as the southern portion of the Bitterroots (Rhodes Peak is highest at 7,940 ft.), the core of this area consists of subalpine cirques and meadows dotted with numerous crystal-clear lakes. Pristine drainages within the roadless area include Kelly Creek, Cache Creek, and Fish Creek. Impressive stands of old growth cedar and hemlock still stand in the valleys. These beautiful forests and streams have escaped the bulldozers and chainsaws of the past century making this area a haven for wildlife like elk, moose, mountain goats, gray wolf, and harlequin duck. Recent sightings of grizzly bear in the Fish Creek and Straight Creek drainages of Montana are considered "verified" and prove that grizzlies are present in this wildland.

Among the greatest threats to the integrity of this area is the recent rash of abuses by ORV's and snowmobiles, particularly around the Fish Lake area and all across the Idaho side. There has been a concerted effort by the ORV community to "take over" the Great Burn in an attempt to prevent wilderness designation. Dale Harris, long time advocate for the Great Burn says "this is the tip of the iceberg... it's all under attack," referring to the ORV situation in the Great Burn. Proposed mining and roadbuilding in the North Fork of Fish Creek is also an ongoing concern.

Passage of NREPA and heightening of awareness by traditional, non-motorized users will be essential in protecting this area for it's wildlife and recreation values.

• Old Growth Cedar Groves
• Assault on Fish Lake... ORVs in the Roadless Area
• The Great Burn as Biological Corridor
• On a Clear Day (you can see what's just outside the roadless area)

Browse our Bioregion Spotlight archive, each month we focus on a unique area or species of the Wild Rockies.

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Alliance for the Wild Rockies
PO Box 8731 • Missoula, Montana • 59807
Phone: 406-721-5420 • Fax: 406-721-9917
E-mail: awr@wildrockies.org

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