Gianforte lauds Ski Dale project during Libby visit

Stressing the need for more jobs and increased forest management in Lincoln County, Gov. Greg Gianforte toured a forestry project and the site of what may become a wood processing plant last week.

At his first stop during the governor’s May 21 visit, Gianforte touted the Good Neighbor Authority Ski Dale project, located roughly a mile from the center of Libby, as a promising step forward in reducing local wildfire risks.

Last year, the state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation found Lincoln County to have the most acres at risk of wildfire and forest degradation out of any county in the state. DNRC also lists Lincoln County as having one of the highest percentages of structures and critical infrastructure at very high or extreme risk from wildfire.

The 90-acre project marks the first collaboration between county, DNRC and Forest Service officials under the Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) within the County. Established in 2014, the GNA allows states, counties and tribes to manage national forest lands by entering into agreements with federal officials.

To reduce wildfire risks in the area, contractors relied heavily on mastication and chipping. Compared to traditional methods of thinning forests such as prescribed burning, these modes helped protect the local air shed, according to Jodi Turk of DNRC.

The Ski Dale project also included a timber sale, which went to Kneller Logging Inc. of Libby, for $45.71 per ton. During an announcement of the timber sale earlier this year, Gianforte said work on the contract was expected to begin in February. For public safety, officials closed off trails through the area while skidding and felling work was in progress.

Although debris was still strewn about the project area, the governor predicted that within a year the land would be grassed over.

Despite the small treatment area, County Commissioner Mark Peck (D-1) said the Ski Dale project was a boon for local contractors struggling to find work.

“That’s a huge benefit, to keep these guys going,” said Peck.

By taking on more Good Neighbor Authority projects like Ski Dale within the coming years, Gianforte expects to significantly ramp up the state’s treatment of forested lands. In 2020, DNRC treated 11,000. This year, the governor has set a target of 25,000 acres.

Noting that the Forest Action Plan has identified 4 million acres in urgent need of treatment, Gianforte said he’d like to see upwards of 100,000 acres managed a year.

“It’s important for habitat conservation, it’s important for wildfire resiliency, it’s important for jobs,” said Gianforte.

In conjunction with his plans to treat more forestlands, the governor said he supported efforts to open a wood processing factory.

During a tour of the Lincoln County Port Authority, Peck announced plans to lure in a medium density fiberboard plant. Peck estimated the factory would employ 40 people per shift. Counting transportation and other auxiliary work needed to support the plant, the operation could create between 150 to 200 new jobs, he said.

Peck hinted at an ongoing effort to bring manufacturing back to Libby when he announced his impending resignation from the board of commissioners earlier this month. The Libby representative is stepping aside to take a new position with the port authority as a shared stewardship coordinator.

The role will see him act as a nexus between public agencies interested in managing forestland near homes and infrastructure and private businesses required to process raw materials from those efforts.