Front Project boosted by stewardship agreement

by Michael Howell

The Bitterroot National Forest has been selected to be one of the first two priority landscape-scale projects to be implemented as part of the Shared Stewardship Agreement between the U.S. Forest Service and the State of Montana establishing a new framework for coordinated, cross-boundary active forest management between the agency and the state. The first two landscapes include 200,000 acres within the Bitterroot National Forest and nearly 214,000 acres across the Flathead and Kootenai National Forests.

The state began ramping up its fire suppression efforts in 2023 with passage of House Bill 883 appropriating $30 million annually to ensure robust, flexible resources for fire suppression, fuel reduction, forest restoration, and forest management projects on private, state, and federal lands. President Trump then turned an eye towards the national forests, issuing Executive Order 14225 prioritizing activities to restore American self-reliance and economic security, including the immediate expansion of domestic timber production, streamlining the permitting approval process, and eliminating unnecessary regulatory burdens.

This was followed by Congressional action approving the Explore Act and adoption of the Good Neighbor Authority, both of which were designed to accelerate forest management and wildfire risk reduction at the landscape scale. 

By leveraging this legislation, the Shared Stewardship Agreement, signed last June, the agencies aim to prioritize wildfire risk reduction, forest health improvement, and sustainable timber production by aligning planning, funding, and implementation strategies in partnerships across the country. By setting and meeting aggressive annual timber harvest targets (in millions of board feet or MMBF), the agencies hope to reduce reliance on imports, lower construction costs, and support job creation in Montana’s forest products sector. 

In order to accomplish this, they have a shared commitment to implement the new and expanded categorical exclusions available to the Forest Service, to accelerate environmental reviews, and eliminate unnecessary permitting delays to ensure rapid deployment of forest management projects. They have committed in the agreement to an annual sustainable volume of up to 100 MMBF through DNRC Good Neighbor Authority projects in response to the President’s directive to increase harvested timber volume by 25 percent on federal lands. 

In a recent announcement about the first two planned projects under the agreement, Forest Service Chief Tom Shultz said, “This is shared stewardship in action starting with local knowledge of the landscape. When we plan treatments together, such as fuels reduction, timber sales, and forest restoration, we create stronger community defenses, more resilient power corridors and infrastructure, and safer conditions for people and property.” 

Governor Greg Gianforte agreed, stating, “This is exactly what we envisioned when we signed this landmark Shared Stewardship Agreement — partners working across boundaries to better protect communities, support timber jobs, and restore healthy forests.”

The first two projects were selected based on strong existing partnerships between Forest Service and Montana DNRC, wildfire risk to nearby communities and infrastructure, opportunities for coordinated planning, and readiness for implementation.

Here in Ravalli County, local and state agencies are cooperating on a planned Bitterroot Front Project on lands administered by the Stevensville and Darby-Sula Ranger Districts. The project area includes Forest Service lands on the eastern front of the Bitterroot Range from Darby (Trapper Creek area) to Florence (McClain Creek area) on the Darby and Stevensville Ranger Districts.

For more information about the Bitterroot Front Project visit www.fs.usda.gov/r01/bitterroot/newsroom/stories/bitterroot-front-project.