Gianforte Highlights Forest Management Project in Lakeside

Gov. Greg Gianforte recently joined officials from the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation and the U.S. Forest Service to visit the Blacktail Powerline Project near Lakeside on the Flathead National Forest, the first initiative announced under Montana’s Shared Stewardship Agreement.

“Through our Shared Stewardship Agreement with the Forest Service, management partners are working across boundaries to better reduce wildfire risk and restore healthy forests,” Gianforte said. “The Blacktail Powerline Project was a high priority for fuels reduction and it’s great to see progress to reduce fuels loads to protect nearby communities and vital power infrastructure that serves the Flathead Valley.”

In June 2025, Gianforte and U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz formalized a first-of-its-kind, 20-year Shared Stewardship Agreement between Montana and the Forest Service aimed at increasing the pace and scale of forest management. Since signing the agreement, the governor and DNRC have announced the selection of three priority landscapes covering more than 750,000 acres across the Flathead, Kootenai, Bitterroot and Lolo National Forests.

The Flathead National Forest began developing the Blacktail Powerline Project in 2024 in coordination with Flathead Electric Cooperative, DNRC, Blacktail Ski Area and Northshore Nordic Club to reduce wildfire risk in the area. In 2026, a Good Neighbor Authority timber sale was awarded to Tamarack Timber LLC to begin the work.

Under the Shared Stewardship Agreement, crews are treating hazardous fuels on up to 366 acres through commercial and non-commercial treatments to reduce heavy fuel loads near vital power infrastructure. Officials said the work is intended to reduce the likelihood and impact of tree-caused power outages while improving overall forest health near Lakeside.

“The Blacktail Powerline Project shows the value of the Shared Stewardship Agreement and the progress we can make when state and federal partners work toward common goals,” said DNRC Director Amanda Kaster. “By combining our resources and expertise, we can strengthen forest health and reduce wildfire risk to communities and critical infrastructure.”

Shared stewardship allows land managers to collaboratively identify needs, set priorities and coordinate work across boundaries, officials said, enabling projects to move more efficiently from planning to implementation. The state of Montana and the U.S. Forest Service continue to use tools such as the Good Neighbor Authority to accelerate forest management and reduce wildfire risk.

By: BSB News wire