CUSTER GALLATIN NATIONAL FOREST
BOZEMAN – The 3.1 million-acre Custer Gallatin National Forest is starting a forest plan revision with a series of community public meetings across the region.
Ultimately, the four-year process instructs a new forest plan, a comprehensive overarching document providing guidance for forest management for years to come. Public involvement in the forest plan early and often helps to create the vision for the national forest in the coming decade.
“Over the next four years the forest plan needs to bring together ecological, social and economic interests,” said Virginia Kelly, forest plan revision team leader. “Communities and the Forest Service will work together to determine what that means across the Custer Gallatin National Forest.”
The first public meetings will be held Feb. 22 through March 9. Each meeting will have similar agendas and will be held in the afternoon or evening depending on location.
Forest plan revision meetings will be the first opportunity for the public to provide local knowledge and information about current conditions, trends, perceptions and concerns, while also introducing the forest plan revision team to communities around the Custer Gallatin National Forest.
Meetings will include a brief district update and move into an introduction and overview of the revision process and how to understand the Custer Gallatin National Forest as a whole. Following the presentation there will be an opportunity to identify important interests in communities, ask questions and speak to Forest Service staff one-on-one.
Early and continued engagement throughout the forest plan revision process is welcomed and encouraged. Additional public meetings further into the assessment of existing conditions process will be hosted in June.
Visit fs.usda.gov for more information. You can subscribe for email updates online or by calling (406) 587-6735.
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Custer Gallatin National Forest plan revision meetings around the region:
Big Timber – Monday, Feb. 29, 3-4:30 p.m. at the Sweet Grass Co. Annex (adjacent to the Extension office)
Livingston – Monday, Feb. 29, 6:30–8 p.m. at the Duncan Hagemeyer Conference Room in the new Livingston HealthCare Medical Center
Red Lodge – Tuesday, March 1, 6:30–8 p.m. at the Red Lodge Senior Center
Bozeman – Wednesday, March 2, 6:30–8 p.m. in the Montana State Room of the Holiday Inn at 5 East Baxter Lane
Big Sky – Thursday, March 3, 2–3:30 p.m. at the Big Sky Chapel
West Yellowstone – Thursday, March 3, 5:30–7 p.m. at the West Yellowstone Chamber of Commerce
Gardiner – Monday, March 7, 5:30–7 p.m. at the Yellowstone Association
Cooke City – Tuesday, March 8, 5–6:30 p.m. at Cooke City Chamber of Commerce
