The U.S. Forest Service Northern Region encompasses 25 million acres and is spread over 5 states. Included are 12 National Forests located within the perimeter of northeastern Washington, northern Idaho, and Montana; and the National Grasslands in North Dakota and northwestern South Dakota.
As a place for individuals and families to enjoy the outdoors, the Northern Region's public lands offer hiking, camping, fishing, hunting, skiing, kayaking, and countless other adventures. These very special areas protected from development offer the ability to escape the crowds of the city and encounter nature at its best - to experience the solitude and challenges of wildlands.
The Forest Legacy Program is a successful “working forest” conservation program built upon federal, state, and private partnerships. This video provides an overview of the program’s national accomplishments while highlighting a conservation easement project near Whitefish, Montana. The project protects a community’s watershed, provides for local timber jobs and secures public access while keeping private land in private hands. Text to video available.
The Forest Service’s Northern Region and the University of Montana have teamed up to create a program that helps prepare college students for careers in the high tech industry. This spring, three students are graduating with skills they developed in part through an agreement between the Northern Region and the University.
Leanne Marten, Regional Forester for the Northern Region, recognizes employees and partners for their outstanding contributions to the work of the Forest Service in 2016.
The report Values of the Middle Fork Clearwater and Lochsa River Corridor Potentially Affected by Certain Over-Legal Truck Traffic is available for reading and download.
Amendment to incorporate relevant direction from the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem Grizzly Bear Conservation Strategy into the forest plans for the Helena, Kootenai, Lewis and Clark, and Lolo National Forests:
The Forest Service published the draft amendments and draft EIS on May 27, 2016. The 120 day comment period begins on June 3rd. More information about how to comment and documents can be found on the Forest Plan Amendments page.
