The Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, in collaboration with the Beaverhead-Deerlodge Working Group (BDWG), is hosting a public meeting in Butte on March 16, 2017 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. to discuss the preliminary aspects of the Red Rocks Forest Health project being developed by the Butte-Jefferson Ranger District in the Boulder River area. The meeting is being held at the Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives, located at 17 West Quartz Street.

The BDWG has developed a landscape strategy for the Boulder River landscape. The Red Rocks project incorporates the overarching management approaches identified in that strategy:

• Support effective collaboration of diverse interests to guide land stewardship.
• Protect and re-establish the ecosystem processes that result in diverse and resilient forests and rangelands and properly functioning watersheds.
• Achieve a mix of ecological, social, and economic objectives.

The Red Rocks project occurs in an insect and disease area designated under the Healthy Forest Restoration Act (HFRA). Objectives of this project include reducing the risk or extent of, or increasing resilience to, insect and disease infestations and mitigating hazardous fuels. Watershed and habitat improvement opportunities are currently being explored and will also be discussed during the collaborative process used to develop this project. The objectives of this initial meeting are to:

• Get a better understanding of who would like to participate in development of the project;
• Introduce the public to the broader project area; and
• Get initial feedback on potential treatment areas and types.

The BDWG invites anyone who is interested in participating in the group’s work to read more on their website at www.b-dworkinggroup.org. For more information about the project, please contact Tera Little, Project Team Leader, at teralittle@fs.fed.us  or 406-758-5357. Information about the project will be posted online throughout project development and can be found here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/projects/bdnf/landmanagement/projects (scroll down and click on Red Rocks Forest Health).

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Background on the Beaverhead-Deerlodge Working Group: The BDWG is a citizen-based committee with members representing key interests, geographic balance, and knowledge of the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest in southwest Montana. Members represent timber, county government, agriculture/ranching, quiet and motorized recreation, conservation, hunting and fishing, outfitters/guides, and general citizen interests. The purpose of the BDWG is to develop common understanding amongst diverse stakeholders and serve as a bridge to broader constituencies on the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest. The BDWG is facilitated by the National Forest Foundation.