by Chad Bauer, Missoula Chamber of Commerce
U.S. Forest Service research has identified where public land conditions contribute to high severity wildfire risk to our forests, WUI residents, and population centers. This research has found that forests in western Montana are presently losing more trees to mortality than they are growing them. The research also indicates that our Bitterroot communities are at significant risk, in fact some of the highest risk in the country. This isn’t something that the Bitterroot National Forest can ignore, and they have not. In May, the Forest issued a decision on the Bitterroot Front project, designed to treat National Forest lands that contribute to community wildfire risk.
Our communities need this project to move forward to manage wildfire risk as winters become increasingly warm, summers increasingly dry, and stressed and dying trees continue to accumulate. If we don’t invest upfront in active forest management, we are likely to instead deal with escalating wildfire suppression costs covered by tax payers. Suppression of the 2024 Sharrott Creek fire, which threatened homes below St. Mary’s Peak, for example, cost $21 million. Investing now in actively maintaining the forests that provide us with clean water, clean air, wildlife habitat, and world class recreation opportunities will save us money and retain our public land values and services. The Bitterroot Front Project provides that opportunity.
The urgency of the Bitterroot Front project isn’t fabricated. It’s real, and the work will take time, as the project has a 20 year timeline. Let’s get started on the Bitterroot Front ASAP.
Leave a Reply