For time immemorial Indigenous people burned low-intensity fires across this landscape to manage forests for people and wildlife. Wildfire suppression actions over the last 100 plus years have created dense forests with high wildfire risk. Forests that were once open with widely spaced trees created by regular low intensity fires are now crowded with thickets of small trees no longer regulated by fires. Removal of fire from the landscape has affected the historic mosaic and patchwork of differing ages and size classes of trees. We now see large swaths of connected forests of similar ages with vulnerability to wildfire, disease and insects. The dominant tree species we find in the valley such as ponderosa pine, western larch, douglas fir and lodgepole pine are all fire adapted species that rely on the presence of fire. Mechanical thinning and selective harvest of certain tree species and size classes are another way to mimic natural wildfire processes and forest stand composition across the landscape while reducing wildfire risk.
Swan Valley Connections (SVC) has recently been involved in the creation of a collaborative working group, Firesafe Swan, in conjunction with the Montana Department of Natural Resources (DNRC), US Forest Service (USFS), Pyramid Mountain Lumber, the Fire Adapted Montana Learning Network, Missoula County and interested citizens. Other Firesafe workgroups established across Montana have been successful at engaging volunteer fire departments, power companies, private landowners, and other vested interests to participate, and our goal is the same. Everyone who has a vested interest in reducing wildfire risk and promoting wildfire preparedness is encouraged to join the effort. The mission of this group is to create cohesive strategies that identify and carry out work and share information needed to create and encourage fire adapted communities in the Swan Valley. The group is led by co-chairs Jack White (DNRC) and Mike Mayernik (SVC) and contributed to by agency staff and interested citizens of the community.
Originally the aforementioned agencies would meet regularly to discuss projects being conducted, but after receiving citizen requests to be better informed of these projects, the public group Firesafe Swan was created. The hope is to identify priority areas as a community, and to figure out how to break those projects down into manageable tasks to be accomplished by all parties involved, leading to cross-boundary projects that connect private, state and federal fuels reduction treatments. Additionally, this group aims to provide information on what it means to live in a fire adapted ecosystem, manage for resilient landscapes and plan for safe and effective wildfire response and preparedness.
A Firesafe Swan website will soon be accessible to the general public to find meeting minutes, ongoing projects and educational content on the use of mechanical thinning, fire as a management tool, wildfire preparedness and more. In the meantime, you can find educational resources and Firesafe Swan meeting minutes on the Swan Valley Connections website at https://www.swanvalleyconnections.org/forest-stewardship. The DNRC and USFS also provide great online resources on their websites.
A regular monthly schedule will be created, and meetings are open to anyone. The next meeting will be held at the Swan Valley Community Hall on February 15th at 10 a.m. Bring your questions and ideas, and be ready to do a map exercise outlining priority areas and project delegation. We hope to see you there.
Make sure to stay tuned on the Swan Valley Connections events page at http://www.swanvalleyconnections.org/events for upcoming forest stewardship workshops happening this spring and summer! Enrollment is now open for a three-day MSU Extension Forestry Course that will be held in Condon on Sept. 5, 6 and 13. The purpose of this workshop is to give landowners the skills needed to manage their forests. We are excited to be hosting this workshop, as this course has not been offered in the Swan since 2016. Spaces are limited to 20 landowners, so be sure to head to our website to learn more and register!
Questions? Contact SVC’s Conservation and Stewardship Associate, Mike Mayernik, at mike@svconnections.org or Jack White DNRC Service Forester at jack.white@mt.gov.
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