
Forest management across all ownerships is key to landscape level benefits.
The Montana DNRC posted a Request for Proposals for projects supporting the Forests in Focus Initiative in Fall of 2014. Funding was available as cost-share for forest fuel reduction, forest restoration, habitat enhancement, stewardship work and other activities on non-federal lands around the state. Projects are now underway.
The Forests in Focus Initiative promotes collaboration and sustainable forest management on non-federal lands, too. Using authority granted during the last legislative session, Governor Bullock will make up to two million dollars available from the state fire suppression account for cost-share assistance for forest management activities on tribal, state and private lands. The investment includes:
- $1,000,000 for projects in southern/eastern Montana;
- $1,000,000 for projects in western Montana; and
- Delivery of federal cost-share funding near Helena
Projects which include harvest of commercial timber, forest restoration, habitat enhancement and wildfire risk reduction will be given priority for these funds.
Beyond financial assistance, non-federal forest owners have access to technical assistance and education from a variety of sources, among them, DNRC Service Foresters, MSU Extension, Tribal Foresters, Consultant Foresters, the USDA Forest Service, USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and others.
