Montana met its forest management goals for the third consecutive year. State officials say they increased the amount of thinning, timber harvests, prescribed burns and restoration projects on forests by 16% over 2022 levels.
The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation last year placed over 36,000 acres under active forest management.
Gov. Greg Gianforte celebrated the work Tuesday in a tree nursery at DNRC regional headquarters in Missoula.
"This accomplishment would not have been possible without our strong partnerships with local communities, federal agencies and tribal nations," Gianforte says.
Gianforte says that work reduces wildfire risk, improves forest health and is good for business.
DNRC Director, Amanda Kaster, says the Good Neighbor Authority, which allows the state to conduct timber and conservation projects on federal lands, generated 10 commercial timber sales and 36 restoration projects last year.
"Which resulted in 21.7 million-board feet of timber, valued at approximately $2.8 million and supporting 294 Montana jobs,” Kaster says.
Gianforte and Kaster both expressed their commitment to increasing the pace and scale of forest management activities, while simultaneously increasing the state’s wildfire preparedness.
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BLM continues oil and gas approvals despite federal shutdown; Environmental groups are petitioning the state to stop issuing pollution discharge permits until new standards can be set; The Montana State Prison has the green light to resume water use in all areas of the facility after a water line broke in October. -
Wind farms are facing strong opposition in much of southeastern Montana, but Stillwater County is welcoming wind power with open arms. New turbines went online there in August, and plans for up to 400 more are under consideration. -
For decades, Libby residents have lived with the deadly aftermath of asbestos exposure from a closed vermiculite mine. It contaminated the local baseball fields where kids played, it was in gardens, and it insulated homes. Hundreds have died from asbestos-related diseases. Two families were awarded damages from BNSF Railway in 2024. Now the railway is appealing that decision, saying it's not liable for those deaths. -
Weather officials have issued their seasonal weather forecast for the Northern Rockies this winter. Montana’s weather outlook for December through February is trending colder than average. Some places could see more snow than normal. -
Drought experts say unpredictable precipitation patterns are making drought forecasts more difficult. -
The Montana Department of Livestock has identified, and is tracking, a population of feral pigs in Phillips County.
