Table of Contents
- In the News
- Stories from Our Members
- Grants
- Upcoming Calls
- Featured Resources
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In the News
BLM director makes hometown pitch for conservation rule, funding
An article from the Missoulian reports on a recent trip made by Tracy Stone-Manning, director of the Bureau of Land Management and native Montanan and her recent visit to the Blackfoot corridor. Her visit came on the year anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act's passing where she announced the $1.5 million the BLM is granting to local groups for restoration and stream improvement projects. The article also covers how the IRA is shaping BLM policy to continue to expand restoration activities with the same kind of focus as oil and gas drilling.
To read the full article click here.
Private equity profits from climate disaster clean-up – while investing in fossil fuels
An acticle from the guardian found that private equity firms are increasingly investing in and acquiring restoration groups who specialize in disaster cleanup. As climate change continues to exacerbate the frequency and intensity of natural disasters, the federal government has continued to raise their investments into cleanups. The guardian reports that as these private equity groups are acquiring disaster restoration groups, they are simultaneously investing in oil and gas exploration. The article also covers the discrepancies between the demand for restoration workers and the lack of adequate wages and safety protections they are receiving.
To read the full article, click here
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Stories from Our Members
Finding Balance with Fire in Montana’s Sagebrush Country
An article by Partners in the Sage showcases the importance of the conifer encroachment and landscape restoration work that Sean Claffey is heading in Beaverhead County's sagebrush steppe region. The article explores the ecological history of the sagebrush steppe and the importance of conifer reduction and reintroduction of fire back onto the landscape. Claffey, the Southwest Montana Sagebrush Conservation Coordinator and FAMLN member, describes the neccessary relationship between fire, it's importance to the sagebrush steppe ecosystem, and the wildlife community that relies on its health.
Read the full article here.
Community Chipping Day in Aspen Groves – Big Sky, MT
From FAMLN Member Emma Lawler of Big Sky Owners Association:
Big Sky Owners Association (BSOA) in partnership with the Big Sky Fire Department hosted a community chipping day in their Aspen Groves Community. BSOA oversees 8,000 acres in Big Sky, much of which is surrounded by high fuel load densities posing a major risk to the local residents. Within the area, the Aspen Groves Subdivision was identified as a target area for fuel reduction work. The Big Sky Fire Department was able to send a crew with a chipper to remove woody debris residents had piled on the side of the road. BSOA has a strategic plan for fuel and fire risk reduction for the area they oversee and are looking to continue their work with community members, as well as the Big Sky Fire Department to help reduce the wildfire risk in the area.
Read Emma’s write up here
Big Sky Fire Department Home Hardening Workshop
Dustin Tetrault of the Big Sky Fire Department shared a video from a home hardening course they hosted last month. Check out the Video below:
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MT City Firewise Demonstration Garden
Tri-County Fire Safe Working Group recently released a story on their website covering the history and details of their firewise demonstration garden. The story shares the timeline of the project, the partnerships created in the process, and the development of the garden itself. This is a great story with lots of beautiful pictures included.
Check out the full story here.
Selkirk TREX Reflection
Jack Rinck, the DNRC's new Prescribed Fire Specialist and Coordinator of the Montana Prescribed Fire Council, provides us with a reflection of his time at the Selkirk prescribed fire training exchange. Jack's reflection touches on the importance of the TREX model for training qualified prescribed fire practitioners and prioritizing education over acres treated. Jack hopes to bring this model back to Montana to help increase the number of qualified burners as well as the opportunities available to do so.
You can read the full reflection here.
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FireSafe Swan Kickoff Meeting
FireSafe Swan had its kickoff meeting on Thursday October 26th. Their first meeting had representation from Missoula County, Swan Valley Connections, the Montana DNRC, Pyramid Lumber, and a few interested residents. The meeting addressed fuels treatments occurring in the Swan, how to effectively showcase the importance of fuel reduction work especially in the aftermath of the Colt fire, evacuation and emergency communication, and how they to organize the meetings in the future.
Congratulations to FireSafe Swan and getting this working group off of the ground!
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Grants
Inflation Reduction Act Forest Landowner Support
From the USDA Forest Service website: “The Inflation Reduction Act Forest Landowner Support programming provides financial assistance grants for projects that support underserved and small-acreage forest landowner participation in emerging private markets for climate mitigation and forest resilience. The Inflation Reduction Act provides the Forest Service $450 million for Forest Landowner Support which will be made available through a series of funding opportunities. Bookmark this webpage to stay up to date on current opportunities and deadlines or contact SM.FS.LandownerIRA@usda.gov to be added to an email distribution list.”
Two links for this grant:
Grants.gov
Fs.usda.gov
Biden-Harris Administration Announces Availability of Nearly $50 Million to Strengthen Forest Products Economy, Forest Sector Jobs as part of Investing in America Agenda
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CWDG Focused Grant Writing Workshop
"A grant writing workshop facilitated by Western Region Program Managers to help potential applicants through the grant application. The workshop will cover the application process, answering the questions effectively and finalizing responses, as well as helpful tips for improved grant writing. Specific grant program questions and eligibility questions will not be covered."
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Upcoming Calls
November 15th 2-3pm: FAMLN Statewide Connection Call
This month's connection call will be moved back by a week from our usual schedule. Our call will be focused on creative ways we can utilize Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPP's). This will be an open discussion for anyone to offer their ideas or insights as to how a CWPP can be used in creative or novel ways. The link to the Zoom call is on the Podio calendar page and I will send out a reminder with a Zoom link on Podio a week in advance.
November 9th 1-230pm: Prioritizing Landscape Treatments Webinar with the Rocky Mountain Research Station
Register to attend this live virtual session hosted by the Rocky Mountain Research Station. The webinar will have presenters sharing the overall framework for prioritizing landscape treatments, analysis considerations, as well as a case study from the Southwest Idaho Wildfire Crisis Landscape. This is a free webinar open to anyone who is interested.
View the flyer invite here.
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Featured Resources
Landscape Explorer
The Landscape Explorer tool created in partnership by the Working Lands for Wildlife, the University of Montana, Partners in the Sage, NRCS, and NVIDIA, allows you to view historical imagery of towns and rural environments in contrast to the changes they have undergone over the last 70 years. This tool allows you to see the effects of urbanization, privatization, and conifer encroachment on our Western landscapes. This is a fantastic tool that was featured in the article Finding Balance with Fire in Montana’s Sagebrush Country.
To view and use the slider, follow the link here.
Wildfire Preparedness Guide for Short-Term Rental Owners
I am very excited to share FAMLN's most recent publication focused on preparing short-term rental owners, their property, and renters for wildfire. The guide comes with suggestions for home hardening steps that owners can take to reduce their homes susceptibility to a wildfire even when they are not around to prepare it, along with guest fire prevention and preparedness information that can be taken out and included in their welcoming folders. This resource is ready for print, as well as publically available on the FAMLN webste which you can access from here.
Please feel free to share with anyone who may be interested.
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Interested in becoming a FAMLN member?
If you or anyone you know is interested in becoming a FAMLN member, don't hesitate to reach out or submit a membership application. There is no cost associated with a membership, and the application only takes a few minutes. You can find that application here, or on our FAMLN website under Become a Member.
We look forward to hearing from you!
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| Please feel free to reach out with any stories, blogs, research, or fire adapted related material that you would like shared with our network and subscribers! |
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