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.

Map:  State, Private, and Tribal Forests in Focus Projects Phase I and Phase II