There is nothing better than sitting down with knowledgeable people and picking their brains. That is exactly what I did this month. It started with a notice from Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation [DNRC] that Pyramid Mountain Lumber, Inc received their prestigious “Montana Forestry Partner Pioneer” award. It recognized Pyramid’s long time commitment to forestry.
That led to a walk down memory lane. As I gathered together three men…the laughter started…names were remembered…and the years all rolled together. It culminated in a history lesson of forestry and Pyramid in Seeley Lake. As Roger Johnson, Loren Rose and Gordy Sanders shared their thoughts, I sat in amazement at the wealth of knowledge and vision they possessed.
Back in the day, the timber industry was about survival and making a living. The Forest Service and Plum Creek provided the timber. But business wasn’t conducted in the same way as it is today. It was all about talking to Jerry Miller and Denny Malone (USFS) or Roger Marshall and Pat Caffrey (Plum Creek). It was a small world where ‘red tape’ was a foreign concept. Collaboration was sitting next to each other at the Friday night basketball game.
As the years progressed, the log supplies changed. The Forest Service redirected their resources and Plum Creek started contracting with larger corporations. Pyramid began working closely with state agencies and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
Working at such a local level, these men impacted several changes in Montana’s logging world. I will touch on the highlights. Future articles will detail the impacts of these individual changes.
First, they saw the need to improve logging practices in the forest. Hence, Montana now has a monitoring program for voluntary Forestry Best Management Practices (BMPs). Montana is one of the few states where this voluntary process has worked so successfully there has been no need for formal forestry legislation.
Second, in the mid-80s and 90s, they started working toward bringing together all stakeholders, collaboratively creating an arena for visionary discussions on how the land should be used and treated. This resulted in 13 Principles of Agreement for Stewardship and Restoration of our national forest lands within Montana. The principles are used to guide forestry activity. These principles have been used by legislative and collaborative groups across the country. In fact, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) gave Pyramid an international Conservation Award for the part we played in this collaborative effort. (SFI is an international certification body that monitors forestry activity). According to the governor’s office, there are more than 40 collaborative groups within Montana dealing with forestry issues, one of which is the Blackfoot Challenge.
Third, these men helped the USFS utilize a valuable contracting tool called stewardship. The Forest Service can make contracts where there is an exchange of goods (logs) for services they need. A prime example is the Clearwater Stewardship Project. On this project alone almost a million dollars worth of work was done on the ground. It reduced road density, improved water quality, eliminated noxious weeds, improved recreational campsites and created jobs for local citizens.
Stewardship was a natural fit for healthy forest management. During the times when industry was not trusted, these three men had the vision to create trust with landowners. One significant landowner was Art Ortenberg. To the world he was known as Liz Claiborne’s husband but in our world he was the man that moved collaboration to a national level. He brought people together face-to-face where they had to conduct dialogue, not the same old rhetoric. It was interesting to hear about Roger’s conversation with the national president of the Sierra Club as they sat down to dinner.
For me, the Christmas season is a time of reflection as past memories flood my mind. Little did I know that this year I would have the privilege to go down memory lane with these three men who have been movers and shakers in Montana’s timber industry. The significance of DNRC’s award is more meaningful, especially the words written on the certificate…, “ In recognition of your vision, persistence, dedication and hard work that has forged the way for future foresters, firefighters and land managers who share your passion for responsible stewardship of Montana’s forests, rangelands and wild places.”
As this year ends and time moves on, take a moment to enjoy the beautiful world around us. Spare a thankful thought for our “Pioneers” that made this possible. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
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