MALT participated in a recent Land and Water Conservation Fund Coalition webinar that provided expansive information about the Forest Legacy Program, and while the webinar offered examples of successful Forest Legacy projects from around the country Montana was a consistent presence within the presentations. 

     The webinar featured presentations from The Trust for Public Land, The Conservation Fund, the Forest Legacy Program, and US Forest Service and others, and was cosponsored by The Nature Conservancy.

     The webinar explained the project application process and project review and approval/funding process, and detailed how full funding of the LWCF will assist in funding additional projects.

     At least eight different presenter slides showcased Montana’s success in utilizing the Forest Legacy Program. One slide featured the Bad Rock Canyon Project, a cooperative proposal involving Montana FWP and Flathead Land Trust, and how the benefits of the project are a good fit for the Forest Legacy Program.

     Other slides showed a map of the US and the concentration of Forest Legacy projects in northwest Montana. One slide showed a sample list of Forest Legacy projects approved by the USFS and submitted to Congress, with two of the top seven projects proposed within Montana. Another slide showed a map of the national forest system in Idaho and Montana with the impressive scope of Forest Legacy Projects highlighted. Other slides focused on the Seeley Lake area of Montana, and others showed national information with Montana front and center as a Forest Legacy Program partner.