BIG SKY – The Big Sky Natural Resource Council will host a free forestry workshop in Big Sky on Friday, June 29 at the Big Sky Chapel on 510 Little Coyote Road. The workshop is part of the council’s Healthy Forest Initiative, which strives to increase landowners’ knowledge and responsibility, treat forested acres as a whole ecosystem rather than individual sections, and strengthen local wood markets.
Workshop topics include what healthy forests look like; tree, plant and weed identification; forest insects and disease; forest management, and protection from wildfire.
Presenters will be from the Montana Department of Natural Resource and Conservation, U.S. Forest Service, Gallatin Valley Land Trust, MSU Gallatin County Extension, and Northern Rocky Mountain Resource Conservation and Development.
The Big Sky Natural Resource Council formed in the spring of 2010 and aims to provide sustainable solutions for natural resource issues in the Big Sky community through a collaborative ecosystem approach. For more information visit bigskynrc.org.
Big Sky Forestry Workshop Agenda
Time: 8:00am – 4:30pm
8:00 – 8:15am Welcome / Sign In
8:15 – 9:00am How to use the Big Sky Forest Stewardship Plan – Crystal Hagerman, MSU Extension
9:00 – 9:45am Managing for What You Want – Angela Mallon, MT DNRC
9:45 – 10:00am Break
10:00 – 11:00am Tree Species / Plant / Weed ID & Sharing Session – Peter Brown, Gallatin Valley Land Trust (attendees will bring in samples of trees, insects, plants, weeds to have them identified at this time)
11:00 – 12:00am Insect pests and disease – Amy Gannon or Ken Gibson, MT DNRC
12:00 – 1:00pm Lunch on your own
1:00 – 1:45pm What does a healthy forest look like? Types of forest treatments for specific forest management goals (wildfire protection, wildlife habitats, aspen regeneration, aesthetics) – Angela Mallon, MT DNRC
1:45- 2:30pm Landscape level forest protection from insects and disease (aerial spraying for spruce budworm, mountain pine beetle solutions, recent trends, and what to watch out for in future) – Amy or Ken, MT DNRC
2:30 – 3:15pm Forestry Best Management Practices – Mike Atwood, MT DNRC
3:15 – 3:30pm Break
3:30 – 4:30pm What you need to know to protect your home from wildfire – Bill Farhat, Big Sky Fire Department and Fred Jones, US Forest Service
