MISSOULA, MT (September 27, 2007) -- A diverse group of Montanans today released a set of “Guiding Principles” that will help shape future restoration work on National Forest lands. The 13 restorations principles, developed by consensus during the last nine months, are based on science and community needs.
The group of Montanans, some 30 total, also worked together to develop a process for applying the principles, beginning with public engagement in the early stages of project development. The intent of the principles is to help accelerate the ecological recovery of National Forest lands while enhancing the economic and social well-being of nearby communities.
“People gathered around the table and said the time was right to work together to try to agree on criteria for successful restoration projects,” said Bob Ekey, of The Wilderness Society. “People worked hard to stretch themselves to search for the zone of agreement and we found it.”
Gordy Sanders of Pyramid Mountain Lumber said, “One of the great benefits of this effort is the personal relationships that were developed and a roadmap on how to move forward to finding success on the ground.”
For decades, management of National Forests has been a process often culminating in appeals and stalled projects, with little success on the ground.
In an effort to resolve these challenges, this past January the Montanans – representing conservationists, motorized users, outfitters, loggers, mill operators, state government, and the Forest Service – held their first meeting at Lubrecht Experimental Forest.
During the next nine months the group, calling themselves the Montana Forest Restoration Committee (MFRC), collectively found a “zone of agreement.” While they realized that they could not provide an immediate solution for all forest-wide issues, the Montanans found broad agreement on forest restoration and worked together to identify what successful restoration projects should look like in Montana National Forests.
Regional Forester Tom Tidwell congratulated the positive example set by the working group. “Forest restoration is critically important to all of us,” he said. “Finding agreement on principles shows the way to finding agreement on projects that get things done.”
The Montanans believe the resulting 13 restoration principles, signed by each participant, will help accelerate the ecological recovery of the National Forest lands while enhancing the economic and social well-being of nearby communities.
[Note: The full principles, implementation plan, membership, and supporting information can be found at www.montanarestoration.org. Each item also is available as document or pdf upon request. Contact Chris Mehl at chris_mehl@tws.org or 406-586-1600.]
The MFRC plans to test its restoration principles in the near future by working to implement two pilot projects on the Lolo National Forest and one on the Bitterroot National Forests. These demonstration projects will include “Forest level Resource Committees,” made up of diverse and knowledgeable community stakeholders, that will work alongside land managers to select, design, and monitor restoration projects.
Gordy Sanders of Pyramid Mountain Lumber said the results of the initial projects will be measured in the time and money saved, improved outcomes through successfully incorporating the restoration principles, and getting more work accomplished on the ground.
The Montanans stressed that the restoration principles are based on science with the goal of providing a flexible, open approach to improving Montana’s National Forests. At the same time, the group emphasized the importance of making the restoration goals verifiable and subject to monitoring to measure results.
