Montana approves Forest Land Management Plan

Policies surrounding the management of forested trust lands in Montana have come into much sharper focus over the last year.

In June of 1996 the Land Board approved the implementation of Montana's first State Forest Land Management Plan (SFLMP). The development of that plan and the associated environmental impact statement began in 1991 with public scoping.

Based on that scoping effort, the Land Board developed six comprehensive alternatives that described various philosophies for managing Montana's trust forests. The alternative that was ultimately selected balances short term revenue production with long term sustainability.

The focus of the alternative is to sustain diverse and healthy forests, to continue to produce revenue from timber production in the short term, and to continue to pursue non-timber revenue opportunities as they become available.

Although the SFLMP is primarily a philosophical and strategic planning document, it also contains some specific resource management standards. The Land Board is currently in the process of developing more detailed implementation guidance for field foresters. That guidance should help direct their efforts to comply with the plan's philosophy and standards.

Concurrent with the development of the SFLMP, the 1995 Montana Legislature passed legislation directing the Land Board to commission a study of annual sustainable timber harvest. The study was to be conducted by an independent third party and the results of the study would become the annual sales target for the department.

In July 1996 a consultant was hired to complete the sustained yield study, and he presented his final report to the Land Board in december of the same year.

Fortunately, the sustained yield estimate produced by the consultant fell within the harvest range anticipated in the selected SFLMP alternative and EIS, so no adjustment to the selected alternative was necessary.

The department achieved the sustainable sales target for 1996 and fully expects to continue to meet that target as long as it is in place. (The law requires that the sustained yield estimate be updated at least every 10 years.)

The development of the SFLMP was an arduous task taking nearly five years to complete. Was it worth it? Most in the department would say, "Absolutely."

The demands on Montana's trust forests skyrocketed in the 1990s, and they will continue to grow. As conflicting demands increase it is very easy to lose sight of the fundamental management goals.

The Land Board expects the SFLMP to serve as a dynamic beacon that guides Montana's forest management into the next century. As changes occur in resources, science, markets and social values, the plan will also change and evolve.

The hope is that a plan has been created that is flexible enough to allow for capturing all the opportunities that lie ahead.