By Katrina Vaitkus

In Golden Valley and Musselshell counties, wildfires are a common occurrence. However, as with many areas this year, these counties have seen increased activity. Just a few months ago, the area battled the Bobcat Fire, which grew to over 30,000 acres before it was contained.

To reduce wildfire risk and help landowners protect themselves, the Lower Musselshell Conservation District (CD) has established a fuels reduction cost-share program. Thanks to a 2019 NACD Technical Assistance Grant, the district was able to bring on Bruce Reid as its fuels reduction administrator to run the program.

After submitting a proposal that details their priorities, which could include fuel breaks, thinning, consultations and more, Reid visits the property to do an assessment and develop a treatment plan and budget. Through the program, landowners have the option to either do the work themselves or hire a contractor. However, Reid is in constant contact with the landowner to help in any way necessary.

In 2019, the first year of the project, the district created six forestry contracts for home defensible spaces. That number has since grown exponentially. So far, 18 contracts have been written in 2020.

“Much of our success is due to educational and outreach,” said Wendy Jones, district administrator. The CD has hosted several Fuel Mitigation meetings (pictured on the right) for landowners to learn more about fuel mitigation, planning escape routes, and ensuring that their family is prepared for an evacuation if necessary.

The benefits of these fuel reduction strategies have been seen on numerous occasions, including during the recent Bobcat Fire. The fire crossed areas where the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Department of Natural Resource Conservation (DNRC) had previously completed projects, but the fuel mitigation reduced the fire’s impact.

“The fire was more intense in areas where they had not done fuel mitigation,” said Jones. “In the areas where they did do mitigation, the fire stayed closer to the ground and didn’t go up the trees as much. It was able to be controlled a lot faster because of what they did.”

While the program has had great success, the district is looking for ways to improve it. “Moving forward, we want to have a larger landscape effect,” said Jones. “So, we want to pull everyone together and see how we can help other organizations.”

To learn more about NACD’s Technical Assistance grants or to read other TA success stories, visit the NACD Technical Assistance Grants webpage.

Tags: Technical Assistance, 2019 Technical Assistance Grants