Red Lodge Clearinghouse - Flathead Forest

Flathead Forest

Photo courtesy of USDA Forest Service

Flathead Forestry Project and Flathead Common Ground

Location: The Flathead Valley of Northwest Montana

Objective: Here, in the spectacular Flathead Valley, two collaborative groups, the Flathead Forestry Project (FFP) and Flathead Common Ground (FGG), were formed in the mid-1990's. Both groups are deeply concerned about land management issues in the Flathead National Forest.

FFP's mission statement dedicated the group to "promote community trust and collaborative processes; ensure forest and ecosystem health; and provide for a sustainable resource-based economy within the region." FFP introduced the concept and practice of stewardship forestry and a concern for the long-term health and sustainability of the entire forest, including soil, water, wildlife, vegetation, and other components and processes.

FCG was formed with the intent to "improve wildlife habitat and forest conditions and to simultaneously utilize economically viable timber sales as a tool to help to achieve these environmental objectives.

History: Flathead County is roughly the size of Connecticut. Its fertile central valley is bounded on three sides by spectacular mountain ranges, while to the south lies Flathead Lake, the largest natural freshwater lake in the West. The wood products industry remains the county's largest manufacturing activity, accounting for over 20% of labor income in 2003. The area's scenic and recreational amenities continue to attract new residents. A year-round tourism industry now brings up to two million visitors a year to the area. The resulting rapid population, demographic, and economic changes have not occurred without stress. Kalispell, the largest city in the county, remains the center of heated controversy, at times accompanied by intimidation and threatened violence. To this day, proposed federal and state land management activities seldom go uncontested.

The early and developing history of both organizations is well-covered in the case study that was introduced at the Red Lodge Workshop in late October 2001. Carol Daly, a founder of FFP; Hank Fischer, Patrick Heffernan, Brian Kahn and Greg Schildwachter, all key members of FCG; and Gary Dahlgren, deputy Assistant to the Flathead Forest Supervisor, were all in attendance.

Even though FCG was disbanded a number of years ago and the FFP no longer meets as frequently as in its early years, their work has made a substantial contribution to the management of the forest.

"I consider the work of both groups as huge successes" says Gary Dahlgren.

"Flathead Common Ground laid the groundwork for significant restoration of the Paint Emery 80,000 acre watershed."

"A fuels reduction program and thinning were completed last summer."

"Road closings prescribed for grizzly bear habitat will be completed this summer."

Gary Dahlgren also stated that Carol Daly and FFP were single-handedly responsible for the validation of Stewardship Forestry in its earliest days and the importance now being put on citizens' collaboration with the agency. Dahlgren says, "From the success of the Cedar Flats program to a number of other productive projects, FFP's partnering with the agency was tremendously valuable."

Photo by Carol Daly

Hank Fischer is also enthusiastic about the outcomes realized and the changes implemented on the ground. "I feel we accomplished what we set out to do," Fischer says.

"We made significant recommendations in the management of two watersheds."

"We served as a model of what it takes to build the trust necessary for a multi-party agreement on formerly deadly divisive issues."

"Road closures were affected on important grizzly bear habitat while leaving roads open that are most important to local people for recreation."

Fischer went on to say, "We never intended to be a functioning group, once the original plans had been worked out with the Forest Service. But we did prove that 'collaboration' is a valid way of operating."

Carol Daly, like Gary Dahlgren, remains dedicated to continuing their work together.

It is rare, as both Daly and Fischer point out, that you can count on continuity in agency personnel, policy and funding - a circumstance that often frustrates volunteer groups and deflates enthusiasm. Some new personnel, according to Daly, have welcomed and encouraged FFP's efforts; others have been less receptive. The FFP was especially disappointed when the Flathead National Forest hired an outside consultant to facilitate a congressionally-mandated collaborative process to address post-fire activities in the area, rather than turning to the local collaborative.

Carol writes that, "nonetheless, FFP can credit itself with a leading role in the agency's first "stewardship pilot program," a program incorporating evaluation of 'best value' in selecting contractors, the concept of goods for services, including strong weight given to local mills, retention of revenues to pay for other stewardship activities, and a new emphasis on "what we leave on the ground, what will the land look like, what will it accommodate when the contract has been fulfilled."

Chief of the Forest Service Dale Bosworth proclaims Stewardship forestry as the future foundation of how the Forest Service will conduct business. FFP and FCG, according to the key players, turned an idea into a practice.

For more information see:

Flathead National Forest's web page

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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 27 May 2008 )