Western Montana hosted foresters from around the world last week, who were there to learn how to simplify their timber management practices. The gathering of timber managers saw representatives from Peru, Indonesia, Liberia, Great Britain, Mexico, Brazil and Papua New Guinea.
As part of the conference, Montana State Forester Bob Harrington addressed the crowd and explained how the state’s voluntary compliance rose from 60% in the 1990s to nearly 90% today. Participants observed how a timber sale would be handled in the Lubrecht Experimental Forest, a 28,000 acre outdoor classroom and laboratory located 30 miles northeast of Missoula, and discussed how Montana has developed niche timber markets and state land trusts that support schools and stewardship contracting projects.
According to Harrington, the state has a set of about 50 “best management practices” that guide state and private forest users in things like stream protection, harvest schedules, cleanup ethics and community relations. As state forester, Harrington directly oversees just 4% of Montana’s forestland, which seems insignificant compared to the U.S. Forest Service’s 59% share.
“Other states have very restrictive rules, while Montana adopted a voluntary system that takes advantage of stakeholder interest. It more than seems to work. It actually does work,” said Andy White of the Rights and Resources Initiative, an organizer of the conference.