FOREST RESTORATION GRANT AWARDED TO RED LODGE MOUNTAIN BY THE MONTANA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION
July 13, 2021 – Red Lodge Mountain, Red Lodge, MT
Montana’s Department of Natural Resources (DNRC) has convened with statewide stakeholders and tribal nations to develop a Forest Action Plan in an effort to promote healthy forests and reduce the risk of wildfire across the state. Through this Action Plan, the MT DNRC funded 14 grant projects across the state, with $241,500 awarded to Red Lodge Mountain (RLM). The work, spanning nearly 12,300 acres, will take place beginning the summer of 2021, and will encompass both public and privately owned land.
At Red Lodge Mountain specifically, approximately 75 acres of land will be commercially logged. All harvested timbers will be used to provide quality wood to local mills and support local economies and communities. Additionally, RLM’s trail crew will utilize hand mitigation and chainsaws to clear out old brush and downed trees on 110 acres of land. Slash piles that are left over from the hand mitigation, will be used to heat the ski area’s Main Lodge via the Biomass wood heater project. The Biomass heater project is in the process of getting approved for a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The bulk of the work will be done on the upper Palisades terrain and from mid-mountain down towards the base. The project at Red Lodge Mountain will continue through 2022 and will improve forest health, reduce the risk of forest fires, provide year-round employment in the local community, and will improve skiable terrain.
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