FWP seeks public comment on Montana Forest Legacy Program updates

From Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is seeking public comment on updates to the Montana Forest Legacy Program’s Assessment of Need document.

The Forest Legacy Program, which is administered by the U.S. Forest Service and managed by FWP, provides funding for conserving high-value working forests. Montana forest values conserved by the program include wildlife habitat, sawmill timber and other forest products, public access for recreation, watersheds for municipalities and irrigation, cultural and aesthetic values, and other social and ecological benefits.

FWP recently updated the assessment of need, which is the foundational document for operating Forest Legacy in Montana. This document provides an overview of the program’s status and accomplishments, a summary of Montana’s forests and program priorities, and a layout of program eligibility requirements, application and review processes, and ongoing program operating details. FWP staff drafted the document with input from two advisory committees and agency partners. 

“We are pleased to release this assessment of need for public review,” said FWP Director Martha Williams. “The Forest Legacy Program has been a huge contributor to conserving over 260,000 acres of forested habitats in Montana, benefiting communities, wildlife, public recreation, timber jobs, clean water and so many other values that are important to the state and its visitors.”

The program began operating in Montana in 2000, and has since supported 243,000 acres of conservation easements and 18,000 acres of fee title acquisitions, the latter managed by FWP as wildlife management areas. The Forest Legacy Program is funded from offshore oil and gas lease earnings through the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Additional information about the national program can be found online at https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/private-land/forest-legacy .

The Assessment of Need is intended to complement the Montana Forest Action Plan, which was released last week also for public review. To view the Assessment of Need, visit: http://fwp.mt.gov/fishAndWildlife/habitat/wildlife/programs/forestLegacy.html .

The draft assessment of need is available for 30-day public review, from today through Oct. 30. FWP will edit the draft assessment in response to public input that improves the document and the program’s future operation. The assessment of need will then be submitted to the U.S. Forest Service for final approval by the U.S. secretary of agriculture by the end of December. Once approved, the document will provide general program direction for Forest Legacy in Montana for the foreseeable future, replacing the original 2000 assessment of need.    

Comments can be submitted through the program’s website or mailed to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, c/o Rick Northrup, P.O. Box 200701, Helena, MT 59620, or emailed to [email protected].

For more information about Forest Legacy, people can contact Rick Northrup, FWP’s Wildlife Habitat Bureau chief, at 406-444-5633.