The Problem
Nearly all forested lands in Montana evolved and adapted in a fire-influenced environment. The unintended consequences of fire suppression resulted in significant changes in forest composition, structure and function. These changes have brought about many of today’s wildland fire and associated ecological forest health problems occurring throughout the Interior West.
As development occurs and human populations expand, threats to property from fire will continue to increase as forest fuels continue to accumulate. Risks to forest health and rural communities, like Seeley Lake, are escalating due to unnatural fuel buildup in these fire-prone environments.
The Solution
Fire fighting capabilities can’t address the fuel loading problems or subsequent extreme fire conditions created from years of suppression, let alone continue the escalating cost of suppression. For instance, the 3,750 acre Boles Meadow Fire in August of 2003 on the Seeley Lake Ranger District cost the Taxpayer $1,325/acre in suppression costs. Rather, a more cost effective strategy of protecting rural communities from wildfire and restoring healthy forests will require active forest management such as treating fuel-loads through forest thinning and prescribed burns.
Although the small-diameter wood products resulting from forest thinning projects were once considered of little to no value, a biomass co-generation facility would be able to harness these forest fuels to generate sustainable local energy as well as new well-paying jobs, effectively linking forest restoration with rural infrastructure development.
The Supply
The Seeley-Swan Fire Plan which encompasses a narrow strip along Highway 83 includes over 100,000 acres of High and Moderate Priority areas with excess fuel loadings on Federal, State, County and Private forest lands. A comprehensive treatment which removes commercial and non-sawlog/biomass material would produce a minimum of 20 BDT (bone dry tons)/acre or 2,000,000 BDT which would supply raw materials for the Co-Gen plant for 75 years.
