New Lolo Forest plan must prioritize active management, incorporate local input
The revision of the Lolo Forest Plan by the U.S. Forest Service, a comprehensive guide for managing the 2-million-acre on National Forest in Montana, is not merely a bureaucratic exercise, it is a plan that impacts both the economy and the environment in Montana, especially for the local communities and county governments hosting this vast expanse of federal lands.
lt is essential for the Lolo National Forest to ensure multiple uses - recreation, hunting, wildlife management, public access, and timber harvest. Each of these uses represent economic and social lifelines for counties like Mineral, where over 80% of the land is federally owned. The concerns of community members about large fires, loss of timber jobs, and dwindling timber-related revenues are not just valid, they are urgent.
The Forest Service heard those concerns recently in St. Regis during a Proposed Action Public Meeting held on Feb. 13. The current proposal by the Forest Service, however, seems to pivot away from these concerns.
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