MARIENVILLE — The USDA Forest Service accepted public comments for Millsteck Large Wood Addition project on the Marienville Ranger District of the Allegheny National Forest within Millstone Township, Elk County and Jenks Township, Forest County, Pennsylvania, through Dec. 2.

Based on public comments and the environmental analysis, it is the decision of the Forest Service to allow the felling up to 70 trees per mile into these five streams and their tributaries (9.3 stream miles total) and onto their floodplains to reduce flood peaks by diverting flows to side channels and improve stream habitat.

Level 1 treatments would use chainsaws only to fell trees into stream channels.

Level 2 treatments would use a combination of chainsaws and a grip hoist or winch to place the wood in the channels. Some minor disturbance of the organic layer of the soils would be caused where the grip-hoist or winch is used to position the large wood in the stream channel.

Heavy equipment will not be used for this project. Except for operational safety, live hemlock or white pine will not be felled for this project.

Five streams (Gurgling Run, East Branch Millstone Creek, Steck Run, Church Run and Winlack Run) and their tributaries on the Marienville Ranger District, Allegheny National Forest currently lack enough large wood to create quality pools, slow flood flows or store sediment and organic debris.

The addition of large wood to these stream channels will also store organic matter and nutrients, which, in turn, will help reduce the presence of toxic dissolved inorganic aluminum in these streams, and increase the biological diversity and abundance in these streams. One of the goals and objectives of the Forest Plan is to provide a sustainable supply of large wood to streams (75 to 380 pieces per stream mile). The project is in Management Areas 2.2 – Late Structural Linkages and 3.0 – Even-aged Management.