Greatest Good: Lincoln Ranger District update

I hope this update finds you well. As I write on Sunday night the update I am providing will likely have changed by Wednesday when the Blackfoot Valley Dispatch is delivered to you, but in this rapidly changing environment it's important to know how this pandemic is affecting your public lands.

Although the Lincoln Ranger District office is closed, we are still serving people and caring for the land. Our 14 full-time employees are mostly working from home speaking daily through tele-conference. We are still staffing our main phone line to answer any questions (406-362-7000) from 8 a.m. through 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday.

When our governor put a stay-at-home order in place, we saw an increase in public land use especially on the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest as people chose to exercise social distancing, in true Montana fashion, under the sun and stars. This surge highlighted how important a task it is to care for your lands while keeping visitors and employees safe. 

As an agency across the nation we are adjusting to the dynamic situation. Many of the decisions to keep the public and our employees safe are being made at the local level to ensure we are being responsive to what is happening in our area. 

We have temporarily closed our developed recreation sites including Aspen Grove Campground, Copper Creek Campground, Granite Butte Lookout Tower, and Cummings Cabin to reduce exposure. This is for the public's health as well as our employees tasked with cleaning and maintaining these areas. Dispersed camping is still permitted. 

Normally our district brings on 30 seasonal workers to help with firefighting, trail clearing and trail building, facility care, and to prepare and implement restoration projects. We have a few weeks to strategize how and when to bring these important folks into the district knowing that keeping our community safe is paramount. 

We are foregoing the normal wood gathering permit process until June 1 of this year. We also, in the Lincoln District, have identified three areas close to the Lincoln community that we will open for several weeks this summer to wood gathering that would not normally be easily accessible. We will have a map available at the district office after June 1. Please call if you have any questions.

We had plans for planting tens of thousands of pine trees in the Park Creek area in April. That contract was awarded to a group that would come to Lincoln, under normal circumstances, and stay in our hotels and eat at our restaurants. We have paused this contract until we have a better understanding of the situation. 

We are still moving forward with implementing restoration projects like Willow Creek Farm Bill, Stonewall Vegetation Project, and Wasson Creek. Plans are continuing for aggressive weed treatment and fuel reduction across the district. The trail crew is still planning on completing new trail segments near Beaver Creek Road. We are still working with minerals administration in areas throughout the district. Lastly, our new forest restoration project in the Hogum area is still on track. 

Despite the challenges of working virtually, I am incredibly proud of our folks, our partners and our communities for their can-do spirit. Although our door may be temporarily closed, we are still here to serve you and take care of your land.