HELENA, Mont — The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation’s (DNRC) Helena Unit (Central Land Office) will be completing a fuels reduction project to mitigate wildfire risk on state trust land within the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) near Lombardy Drive west of Helena. The fuels project is intended to reduce wildfire threat by thinning severely overstocked stands of young conifer trees. The project work will begin on Tuesday, May 27 and is anticipated to take one month or less to complete.
“Fuel reduction work on this parcel will reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire, improve the growing conditions of the stand, and reduce the threat of future insect and disease outbreaks related to trees growing in stressed or overstocked conditions” said Brian Krott, DNRC trust land forester.
The fuel reduction project is funded by House Bill 883, established during the 2023 legislative session, which bolsters the state’s fire response and forest management work. The project will treat 140 acres, with trees less than 8 inches in diameter being thinned to a 15-foot crown spacing. All slash generated during the project will be piled by hand and burned during the winter months when it is safe to do so.
“This area was prioritized in the Montana Forest Action plan to address forest health and wildfire risk issues,” said Adam Blythe, DNRC Helena Unit manager. “DNRC is working in coordination with the U.S. Forest Service, City of Helena and private landowners to reduce wildfire risk to the community and surrounding infrastructure.”
The public may hear and see this work taking place in and around the state parcel. DNRC values the public’s ability to safely recreate on state trust lands and this section will remain open for general recreation. For your own safety, please give crews space and avoid areas with active cutting.
The DNRC manages state trust lands across Montana, including parcels in and around Montana cities and towns. Wildfire fuel reduction work is important to protect homes and improve forest health. Two additional fuel reduction projects are planned for later this summer on state trust land in the Clancy area. Dates have not been set for those projects.
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About DNRC:
The DNRC’s mission is to help ensure that Montana's land and water resources provide benefits for present and future generations. For more information visit dnrc.mt.gov.
Tags: Trust-Land and Forestry