Reducing Risk Where Forest and Community Meet
The Pine Phlats Project is a fuels reduction effort on the Kootenai National Forest focused on protecting communities near the town of Libby, Montana.
Led by the National Forest Foundation (NFF) in partnership with the US Forest Service along with local and state partners, this project targets high-priority acres in the wildland urban interface to reduce hazardous fuels and strengthen community wildfire resilience.
A High-Priority Fuels Reduction Project
The Pine Phlats Project focuses on reducing hazardous fuels in the wildland urban interface just outside the town of Libby, Montana. This winter, crews will treat approximately 200 acres of high-priority forest on the Kootenai National Forest, targeting dense fuels that increase wildfire risk to nearby communities.
Working alongside the Kootenai National Forest, the Lincoln County Port Authority, DNRC, and other partners, the NFF is helping ensure this work aligns with local wildfire protection priorities and complements broader forest health efforts across northwest Montana.
Community Benefit Beyond Fire Risk Reduction
Fuels reduction projects like Pine Phlats generate large amounts of wood that need to be managed responsibly. Rather than treating this material as waste, the NFF is working with local partners to connect forest restoration with community needs.
As part of this project, the NFF is directing funding to move small diameter logs from forest health treatments on the Kootenai National Forest to the Lincoln County Port Authority’s new wood bank in Libby. This material is then made available to local households that rely on wood for heating, helping reduce challenges around disposal of non-merchantable wood while supporting community resilience and wellbeing.
Behind every project is a story about the people that love and rely on their National Forest for clean water, strong economies, and safe communities.
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