The Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest is 3.5 million spectacular acres that belongs to all of us. It’s big enough for everyone, providing we show some respect and neighborliness. It’s home to a variety of magnificent wildlife and fish, the envy of many other states. People are also a part of this ecosystem and we can help use the forests in ways that leave them healthier, more robust and less prone to beetle-kill and forest fires.
What it Does
- Protects some of Montana’s most valuable wildlife habitat
- Protects and enhances headwaters important for water quality
- Protects traditional access to land, lakes and streams
- Provides for good jobs in the woods and sawmills
- Helps thin beetle-killed trees to safeguard communities from wildfire
How It Works
Stewardship Contracts
The Partnership proposal recommends legislation mandating that the Forest Service enter into stewardship contracts with local contractors aimed at restoring healthy forests. Tools may include light-on-the-land logging to remove beetle-killed trees and burning to clear brush and debris. Any money the Forest Service receives for these contracts will be plowed back into the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest. These much needed funds will support projects like maintaining trails and campgrounds or replacing rusty, obsolete culverts from forest roads.
Wilderness
Our proposal also recommends protecting several special places under the Wilderness Act to preserve solitude, wildlife habitat, and clean water. These areas include the headwaters of Rock Creek, portions of the Pioneers, Italian Peaks, and the West Big Hole.
