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Montana news about the environment, natural resources, wildlife, climate change and more.

At Flathead conference, officials push for aggressive natural resource management

The Congressional Western Caucus met with federal and state officials at a conference in the Flathead this week.

U.S. Forest Service chief Tom Schultz told policymakers that aggressive land management is better than a hands-off approach to conserve wild spaces and species.

“This notion that we’re going to leave things out there alone on the landscape and somehow that is a better conservation principle is completely erroneous,” he said.

Schultz said severe wildfires are more destructive than deliberate management. He said his agency is streamlining logging, fuels reduction projects, cattle grazing and recreation in federal forests, while aiming for full suppression of wildfires.

Simultaneously, Schultz noted the forest service is downsizing, as directed by the Trump administration. He said states are capable of stepping up to help manage federal forests. He pointed to a first-of-its-kind agreement Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte signed with the forest service to co-manage 200,000 acres in northwest Montana.

Whether the private sector can keep up is another question. Industry experts say factors like a workforce shortage, a volatile market and dwindling federal resources will hinder logging projects. Meanwhile, environmental protection groups often mount legal challenges to projects they say harm critical wildlife habitat.

Prioritizing state governance was a theme throughout the conference.

Josh Coursey, a senior adviser with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said grizzly bears no longer need federal protections and oversight. The director of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Christy Clark, said the state is ready to manage the bear population she says has grown too large.

“We just have too many bears, and now we have too many bear conflicts,” Clark said.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declined to delist grizzlies in January, saying they still face threats of human-caused mortality and habitat loss.

Congressman Ryan Zinke, representing Montana’s western district, said the stars are aligned for states to take on a larger role in resource management. He pointed to two U.S. Supreme Court decisions that limited the powers of federal agencies and the scope of court injunctions. He also pointed to the president.

“You have an administration that is willing to cede power back to the states,” Zinke said.

Conservation groups have long questioned whether states have the resources necessary to manage vast federal forests. They worry mismanagement could lead to the sale of public lands.

Shaylee covers state government and politics for Montana Public Radio.

Please share tips, questions and concerns at 406-539-1677 or shaylee.ragar@mso.umt.edu
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