Partnerships
The Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest depends on partners and volunteers to assist in connecting the public to their national forest. In FY25, the HLF reported nearly 52,971 volunteer hours, which equates to over $1.78 million in additional capacity. These volunteers helped staff the front-desk at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, engaged in citizen science and stewardship projects, and provided hundreds of conservation education, community outreach, and interpretive programs across the entire HLF. Our volunteers and partners are invaluable in helping us achieve our goals of connecting people to their public lands.
Forest Collaboratives
Collaboratives bring together diverse interest groups and land management agencies to build a community-driven, landscape-level approach to local stewardship and conservation. The HLF actively participates in several of these collaborative groups across the landscapes we manage. The public is encouraged to learn about and participate in these efforts.
Elkhorn Working Group
The purpose of the Elkhorn Mountains Working Group (EWG) is to advise the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, & Parks, the USDA Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management in the development of collaborative recommendations related to wildlife/livestock management strategies in the Elkhorns.
Big Elk Divide Restoration Committee (BEDRC)
The Big Elk Divide Restoration Committee is a group of voluntary participants working in a collaborative, multi-party effort throughout the Big Belt, Elkhorn and Divide landscapes.
Blackfoot Challenge
The Blackfoot Challenge mission is to coordinate efforts to conserve and enhance the natural resources and rural way of life in the Blackfoot watershed for present and future generations.
Crown Managers Partnership
The Crown Managers Partnership (CMP) is a voluntary partnership amongst federal, state, provincial, Tribal, and First Nation agency managers and universities in Montana, Alberta, and British Columbia. We recognize that no single agency has the mandate or resources to wholly address common ecological challenges throughout the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem. We therefore work together across borders to tackle shared ecological challenges and concerns.
Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex
A collaborative of partners and volunteers with Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation, Professional Wilderness Outfitter Association, Montana Conservation Corp., Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute, Montana FWP, Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center, Forest Service Law Enforcement & Investigation, Backcountry Horsemen, National Association of Forest Service Retirees, Northern Rockies Fire Science Network, US Fish & Wildlife Service, National Smokejumpers Association, The Wilderness Society, Montana Wild, Crown Managers Partnership, Rocky Mount Elk Foundation, Continental Divide Trail Association, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Glacier Two Medicine Alliance, Montana Discovery Foundation, Hockaday Museum of Art, Swan Valley Connections, National Forest Foundation, National Wilderness Stewardship Alliance, American Trails, Flathead River Alliance, American Rivers, Montana Outfitter & Guide Association, Recreation Aviation Foundation, Society for Wilderness Stewardship, Ninemile Wildlands Training Center, University of Montana Wilderness Institute