REAL Montana Program Learns About Timber Industry

Press release

Havre resident Katie Kuhr went to Kalispell in September as part of REAL - Resource Education and Agriculture Leadership - Montana. For Kuhr and other members of REAL Montana Class V, this was the sixth session in their two-year educational program.

The seminar was held September 14-16, and experts presented on the current state of the Montana timber industry, forest health, state and federal regulation, and how timber harvest impacts local economies. The class toured a timber harvest site, the F.H. Stoltze Mill, and the Weyerhaeuser MDF plant. The seminar concluded with a cultural training on Montana's Indigenous Peoples' tribal, family and land structure.

"This was a great opportunity to learn more about an industry I have not previously been involved in," Kuhr said. It was clear to me that the timber industry is working hard to help create jobs and be responsible stewards of this precious Montana resource."

Twenty of Montana's emerging and established leaders were competitively selected from a pool of qualified candidates representing a wide variety of agriculture and natural resource industries across the state to take part in Class V of REAL Montana. Each seminar includes a mix of educational speakers, tours, and professional skill building designed to build a network of informed and engaged leaders to advance the natural resource industries in Montana.

The mission of REAL Montana is to build a network of informed and engaged leaders to advance the natural resource industries in Montana.

REAL Montana is funded through a partnership with Montana State University Extension and private industry. Oversight is provided by an advisory board of industry leaders. The program will begin accepting applications for Class VI beginning January 1, 2024.

Complete program information is available at http://www.realmontana.org or by contacting the REAL Montana staff at [email protected].