Officials with Lolo National Forest are launching a series of webinars and office hours to get the public up to speed on the process of revising the forest’s land management plan.
Three virtual events are on the calendar for January with the goal of looping the public into the process of revising the document that guides the management of the forest and its resources for everyone from loggers to recreationists.
Forest Service public engagement specialist Meg Cirullo says the University of Montana’s Center for Natural Resources and Environmental Policy will assist the Lolo National Forest in getting the public involved.
“We know that a lot of different points of view are going to come into the room around this project, and we welcome and respect and look forward to hearing from everybody,” Cirullo says.
A public webinar scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 10 at 6 p.m. will give an overview of the revision process. Other online engagement opportunities are set for later in January. District Rangers will also be available to answer public questions about the process at the Lolo Forest’s five office locations.
The first phase of the revision process will examine the current plan, with a draft of that assessment expected sometime this spring. A new land management plan likely won’t be finalized until 2026.
More opportunities to get involved in the Lolo National Forest Land Management Plan revision are available on the forest planning website.
