Two thumbs up for collaboration

Letter to the Editor:

First off, I would like to thank the Kootenai Forest Stakeholders Coalition for the work they have done in the Kootenai National Forest, and for their tireless efforts in adopting a new guideline document for land management in the KNF. In doing this, we are one step closer to creating healthy and sustainable forests for not only us, but the wildlife that thrives in NW Montana as well. We need to continue to be proactive in protecting what was here long before us – our wild lands and its inhabitants – and the honest way to do that is through positive collaborative efforts between agencies and the community. With that, two thumbs up to KFSC.  

As a born and raised Montanan, I have grown to love, admire and respect the wild lands that we are lucky enough to still call home. The Kootenai National Forest is a very special place, unbeknownst to many; a place one can truly disappear from the outside world and immerse themself in a wild that most don’t even know exists. Every time I hike Mt. Henry in the Purcell Mountains in the Yaak, I stand on the deck of the lookout and drink a mountain brew and think about how truly lucky I am to still be hiking the same trail I have been since I was five years old. The great thing is, it still looks the same as it did 20 years ago. I walk into the lookout and read the names scratched into the ceiling – the names of friends and family I have grown up with, or have met along the way. As I float down the Kootenai River with a dry fly on the water, I hear honks from vehicles whizzing by on Highway 37. Looking up, I see friends waving with big smiles and all the gusto they’ve got, probably about to do the same thing I’m doing. As I hike through the woods toting a Pulaski, headed to help suppress one of the many fires that light up the forest every August, I wonder what the future holds for these forests and if we, as stewards of this earth, are on the right path to sustainable practices.  

I cannot express enough how much sustainability within our forests and wetlands is an extremely important topic to address when it comes to mitigating further environmental impact and degradation. If we want to continue enjoying these wild lands, hiking the mountain trails, fly fishing on the rivers, and the many other activities we are lucky enough to enjoy, it is imperative we come together and create a common ground for sustainable practices. With that, it is my hope we, as a community, can support the Kootenai Forest Stakeholders Coalition as they present their agreement to the USFS for future and proactive planning on the Kootenai National Forest. 

Anna G. Valentine,

Missoula