CRC has expanded its focus on the valley’s landscape by having a director of Terrestrial Programs. This will take into account awareness of various land management programs including forest fuel mitigation projects, landscape restoration projects, and wildlife programs.

Heading up these programs is Scott Tomson. Contact Scott via
E-mail : Scott.tomson@crcmt.org or reach him at: 406-499-0724

Forest Fuels

The primary focus in recent years (and into the future) is acquiring funding for, and overseeing the implementation of, hazardous fuels projects within the Clearwater.

Two projects on the Double Arrow are wrapping up and a much needed 25 acre project on the edge of town is in its early stages.

Another project, a Forest Action Plan grant led by The Nature Conservancy, provides funding for CRC to coordinate with a landowner on the west side of Salmon Lake, on 25 acres of fuels treatment work.

Recently CRC was successful in being awarded $3000 from a Montana Forest Collaborative Network grant. This will go towards continued collaboration of forest/fuels management in the Clearwater.

Applications for a Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG), A Western States WUI grant and a Forest Action Plan grant have been submitted this year.  It looks like CRC may be nearing selection for at least one of these in the near future.

CRC is working under Landscape Scale Restoration (LSR) funding to pull together information on fuels/vegetation conditions in the Clearwater and put this into a document to be shared with partners.  The hope is that this document will help with priority setting for both hazardous fuels and vegetation restoration across ownerships within the Clearwater Watershed..  

There will be a Seeley Swan Fuels Mitigation Task Force meeting August 28th tied to this LSR effort.  The focus of the meeting is on mapped Primary Lines of Defense (PLODs), existing fire lines and other spatial data related to hazardous fuels management and fire planning and response.  An intended outcome of this meeting is to update folks new to the area, like the Seeley and Swan District Rangers, on what information is available, how it has been used in the past, and how it may be better used in the future.  The hope is to collaboratively develop a shared strategy that will be lasting and have positive impacts on the ground.  Stay tuned....…

Learn more about the Fuels Task Force »

For a Fuels Mitigation Grant application, click here to download.

An Assortment of Fuels Information 

Read the Seeley-Swan Fire Plan - 2019 update

First prepared in 2004, this updated plan helps guide and focus wildfire mitigation activities in the Seeley Lake-Clearwater River watershed as well as the Swan River watershed.

The Fire Plan identifies significant wildfire risks to the communities and outlines an action plan to reduce or eliminate fire impacts. It includes resources and information to assist county residents, public and private organizations, local government, and others interested in planning for wildfire risk reduction. This includes a list of action steps that will assist both communities in reducing and preventing loss from future wildfire events.

Click here to download the plan. (3.5)MB

Tips to Help Protect Your Home from Wildfires - information from a CRC event in which Dr. Jack Cohen, retired physical scientist from the Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory shared following the 2017 Rice Ridge Fire.

Photography: Jeff Harrits