Montana Tri-Forest Federal Sustained-Yield Unit

The Beaverhead-Deerlodge, Custer Gallatin, and Helena-Lewis and Clark national forests are hosting a hearing on establishment of a three-forest sustained yield unit in Montana to support local economies and the timber industry. The hearing will take place on April 1, 2026 (5 to 7 p.m.) at the Delta Hotels Helena Colonial (2301 Colonial Drive, Helena, MT). The purpose of the public hearing is to inform the affected communities of the proposed Unit and provide a forum for the public to present their views on the proposal. We also welcome feedback on any alterations we could make to improve it to better serve our communities.

What is a sustained yield unit?

The presence of forest products processing infrastructure is essential for the Forest Service to manage national forest lands according to forest plans and to make meaningful progress toward important goals, including reshaping how wildfire burns across our landscapes and maintaining a mix of tree sizes and species that help forests better adapt to disturbance. 

To maintain a viable forest products industry, the Beaverhead-Deerlodge, Custer Gallatin, and Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forests propose to establish the Montana Tri-Forest Federal Sustained-Yield Unit under 16 U.S.C. §§583-583i, the Sustained Yield Forest Management Act of Sustained Yield Act, of March 29, 1944. The Unit identifies 925,024 acres of land on the three national forests, with a planned combined volume offer of 350 million board feet of timber in the first ten-year action period. This would be consistent with the land management plans of all three participating national forests and will support the continued presence of processing infrastructure in alignment with current executive orders and forest plans. Project-level NEPA for each timber project would continue as normal.