Resource Management

Invasive Species Management

The Bitterroot National Forest invasive species management program increased ten-fold in scope with the signing of the 2003 Forest Noxious Weed Treatment Project Record of Decision. The document identified new expanded objectives for the Forest and provided a road map for achieving those objectives over the next ten years.  It emphasized application of the progressive principles of Integrated Pest Management.  An additional 500,000 acres was added to the Bitterroot Forest theater of operations for invasive species management with the completion in 2010 of the inter-Forest Selway Wilderness Environmental Impact Statement.  The Forest engages in close partnerships with a variety of interest groups and institutions  to battle invasive plants and animal species.   A sampling of the cooperators includes: the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation; Ravalli County; Montana Department of Fish Wildlife and Parks; the Montana Conservation Corps, and the Ravalli County Off-Road Vehicle Users Association among many others.   Recently, the Forest joined forces with the State of Montana and Ravalli County in implementing an early detection and prevention education program  focused on new aquatic invader species such as the zebra mussel, Eurasian watermilfoil and the New Zealand mud snail.

Grazing Management

The Bitterroot  Forest  sponsors  cattle grazing under a permit system on about 190,000 acres of its land area.   In the early part of the 20th Century,  large bands of domestic  sheep  grazed between the Sapphire Mountains east of the Bitterroot River on into the Selway River uplands of Idaho.   However, later in the century, all of the sheep permits converted to domestic cattle.   Currently, about 1,300 cows with calves can graze on 20 different range allotments scattered over all four ranger districts.   Twelve local ranch operations take advantage of the summer forage offered under this permit system.   Forest rangeland specialists work regularly with the local ranchers to determine range readiness, monitor ecological condition and develop management plans on the allotments.   Updated environmental analyses have been completed on about 90% of the allotments to date with the remainder scheduled for completion within the next few years.

Vegetation Management

The Bitterroot National Forest vegetation management program oversees the vegetative aspects of our natural resource management activities.  All activities are governed by federal regulation, forest service direction, and the Bitterroot Forest Plan.

Projects range in size from small plantation improvement thinning and right-of-way timber sales, to much larger post-fire reforestation projects and large scale fuels reduction timber sales – to name a few.  All vegetation management activities are coordinated with other local, state, and federal agencies, as well as local communities and organizations and are approved by the district ranger or forest supervisor.