CRC’s terrestrial program is continuing to focus on hazardous fuels reduction and forest vegetation restoration in 2026. We will continue to collaborate with our long-term partners in and adjacent to the Clearwater watershed on fuels and forest management and we also will be working on the implementation of private lands projects we are assisting on under hazardous fuels grants we have received.

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

Two hazardous fuels grants are nearing completion and should be wrapped up by the end of this year. One grant focused on private lands on the Double Arrow. To date this project has seen completion of 20.5 acres on 5 parcels. The other grant is for fuels treatment on a single 27 acre parcel at the north end of the town of Seeley Lake. Work on this project is ongoing with an expectation that all the work, including burning, will be completed by the fall of this year.

CRC was awarded a Western States Hazardous Fuels grant in the winter of 2025. The focus of this grant is private lands near the Westside Bypass project that was recently completed by the Forest Service with assistance from Montana DNRC. We are currently working with several landowners in that area and hope on the ground implementation of projects begins this summer. A big thanks to Kyle Carpenter of Montana DNRC for his ongoing support and assistance on these current and past hazardous fuels projects!

Also on the hazardous fuel funding front, CRC is coordinating with Missoula County on allocation of Community Wildfire Defense Fund grant funding they currently have available. Their efforts to date have been focused on the Double Arrow due to the high density of homes and the current fuels conditions in that area. Jerry Serabia is the point of contact for this work in Seeley and he can be reached at 541-951-2458 or email to jserabia@missoulacounty.us.

CRC’s Terrestrial Program Director, Scott Tomson, has taken over for Jon Haufler as the chairperson of the Seeley Swan Fuels Mitigation Task Force. A major focus of the task force this year will be interacting/coordination with Missoula County on the revision of the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) for the county. For more info on the Missoula County Wildfire Preparedness group click HERE. ( https://www.missoulacounty.gov/departments/office-of-emergency-management/preparing-for-emergencies/preparing-for-wildfires/ )

In December Scott and Jon completed a paper focused on hazardous fuels and forest vegetation restoration in the Clearwater watershed. The hope is that this paper will help inform the CWPP revision as well as vegetation management projects outside of the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) across the watershed in the future. The informational document will be available to view in the near future. Please check back, if you are interested in viewing this document.

CRC continues to be involved in the Southwest Crown of the Continent Collaborative with Jon continuing to serve as co-chair alongside Jim Burchfield To learn more about the SWCC please click HERE.
( https://www.swcrownmontana.com/ )

There is an upcoming Community Wildfire Preparedness Day event being led by Missoula County on May 2nd. Please see the attached flyer for more information.

We hope you’ll consider attending.
If you have questions regarding this event you can email at: fuelmitigation@missoulacounty.us

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