by Michelle Long
Standing on a meadow high in the Sapphires, my dog resting nearby, I breathe deeply and smile. The hillside is a carpet of arrowleaf balsamroot. My gaze follows the slope downward and westward. I see gentle hills and Ponderosa Pines, leading eventually to the green valley floor, marked by a handful of roads, scattered homes, and barns. Beyond the valley, the purple-tinged Bitterroot peaks are capped with snow.
Many Bitterroot residents and visitors cherish such experiences and put a high priority on protecting the public lands that surround us. Many of us are also moved to join groups dedicated to wise use of those lands, though we sometimes disagree about what uses are wise. The Bitterroot Forest Collaborative (BFC) is a group consisting of residents from diverse backgrounds, with a mission “to influence the design and expedite the implementation of forest management proposals on public lands in a manner which reflects the desires of Bitterroot Valley residents, minimizes adverse environmental impacts, and supports ecosystem function.”
The BFC is one of twenty-six collaborative groups that function under the umbrella of the Montana Forest Collaborative (MFCN). Established in 2007 (as the Bitterroot Restoration Committee) we were the first collaborative in Ravalli County. Often BFC’s focus is on the Bitterroot National Forest (BNF) plans and projects. But among the thirteen principles that guide the Collaboratives under the MFCN umbrella are some that address our responsibility to inform and engage the community. With that responsibility in mind, the BFC plans to share the Position Statements, addressing various aspects of forest management, that we have developed over the last few years. These Statements are a distillation of years of research, analysis, and discussion; they include science-based recommendations agreed upon by a diverse group of Bitterroot residents.
We hope to present all of our Position Statements to the public in the near future, through guest columns and articles; you can also find the Statements here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VO-58cSwAYyTQUgGEJJbbhjmaDC2Mgqw/view
Current Position Statements:
Fire & Fuels
Forest Ecology and Management
Forest Ecology & Management
Recreation, Special Habitats, Habitat Features, and Habitat Conditions [including Old Growth]
Transportation (Roads and Trails)
Wildlife & Wildlife Habitat
Members of the BFC are Kirk Thompson (co-chair; retired USFS Engineer), Skip Kowalski (co-chair; retired USFS Wildlife Biologist), Mick Harrington (retired USFS Fire Lab), Van Keele (Friends of the Bitterroot representative), Micki Long (retired professor, Master Naturalist), Jeff Lonn (Field Geologist and Research Scientist), Paul Roege (Energy Engineer and Resilience Researcher), and Josh Smith (Community Forester).
We welcome new members of the collaborative; if interested, contact Skip Kowlaski at Skipnmar@bitterroot.com or Micki Long at mickilong@gmail.com.