Transforming a Private Forest through Conservation: Joint Chiefs’ Project in Flathead County

In the beautiful and rugged forests of northwest Montana, an important conservation effort is making a big impact. The Joint Chiefs’ project in Flathead County—a collaboration mainly between the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the U.S. Forest Service—is showing how private forest management can be done right. 

A standout example of this project’s success is the ongoing work on Jim Watson and Carol Bibler’s property in Kalispell, where careful planning, innovative techniques, and teamwork are making a real difference.

The Vision Behind the Joint Chiefs’ Project

The cross-boundary project was created to help private forest owners, like Watson and Bibler, tackle challenges such as wildfire fuels mitigation and forest health. In partnership with the NRCS, U.S. Forest Service, and other local agencies, the project aims to improve forest health and wildlife habitats through specific conservation practices. Using federal resources and expert advice, the project supports sustainable forest management and ecosystem restoration on private and industrial lands.

Jim Watson, a landowner committed to the overall health of the Montana forest system, saw the project as an opportunity to transform his property into a conservation model for others to follow. His land, rich with diverse plant and animal species, presented both opportunities and challenges. The dense, overgrown forest allowed mistletoe to thrive, causing tree mortality and deformation. A holistic approach was used to address these issues.

Watson was one landowner within the Joint Chiefs’ project area that completed work to improve forest health. The project also focused on creating and improving wildlife corridors—areas that connect different parts of the forest and allow animals to move freely. By planting native grasses and flowers, while working to get rid of invasive species, the team worked to create a better home for wildlife.

Since the project began, sightings of deer, elk, and turkey have increased. “We’re seeing more bears,” Watson adds, mentioning a mother bear and her cubs that have become a fixture in the area. “Habitat is toward the top of my list and having a healthy forest. I look at wildlife as the teacher who is grading my homework. And if I’m doing a really good job with forestry management, I’ll have really good wildlife.”

The Contrast Between Healthy and Unhealthy Forests

The difference between a thriving forest and one that’s struggling can be pretty easy to spot when you know what you’re looking for. In a healthy forest, everything works together—the understory, midstory, and canopy all play their parts. The understory is where you’ll find grasses, shrubs, and young trees, which provide food and shelter for wildlife. The midstory is home to smaller trees and bushes that offer even more cover and nesting spots, while the canopy is made up of tall, mature trees that form the forest’s protective ceiling.

But when trees grow too close together and the understory becomes overcrowded, things can go downhill fast. An overgrown understory not only makes it tough for wildlife to move through the forest, cutting off their access to food, water, and shelter, but it’s also a recipe for disaster when it comes to wildfire. With little space between trees, fire will spread rapidly and with devastating force. 

“Our goals and intentions are to keep the fire out of the crowns of the trees and on the ground, where it’s much lower intensity,” says NRCS Supervisory District Conservationist Sean Johnson. “This allows fire crews to actively manage it. By doing this, we can avoid the large, catastrophic fires with incredible heat and destruction that we’re seeing more and more across the west.”

Disease is another big issue in these crowded forests, especially when one tree species dominates. When trees are packed in too tight, disease can spread quickly leaving huge swaths of the forest damaged or dead.

On the flip side, a healthy forest, like the one Watson is working so hard to create, is a model of diversity and balance. It’s got a mix of tree species, a well-managed understory, and a midstory that supports a variety of wildlife. This kind of diversity not only makes the forest more beautiful and ecologically rich, but it also helps keep diseases at bay and provides natural firebreaks.  

“We’re going to start seeing the response in those trees being healthier, fuller, greener with much better growth and resiliency,” Johnson says.

Strategic Management and Restoration

The restoration of Watson’s land began with a thorough assessment. Working closely with former District Manager of American Forest Management Caleb Dietz, Watson developed a detailed plan to restore ecological balance.

Dietz explains, “We’re doing a lot of work to improve wildlife habitat.” One of the first steps was thinning out trees to reduce competition, allowing the remaining trees to grow stronger. Controlled burns were another key part of the restoration. These burns, carefully planned and timed, helped clear underbrush and promoted the growth of fire-resistant plants. This practice also restored the natural fire cycle, which is essential for a healthy and resilient forest.

Dietz sees Watson’s property as a “big laboratory” where different forest management techniques can be tested. This flexibility allows for creative approaches tailored to the forest’s specific needs. Techniques like hand thinning, mastication, and selective logging were used to address the forest’s unique conditions.

“We’re pushing toward western larch and ponderosa pine,” Watson says. 

Michael West, Forest Fire Prevention Officer for the Flathead National Forest, highlights the urgency of these efforts. “Humidity used to be 20 to 25 percent, and now we consistently see teen and single digits. Things dry out much quicker than they would have 20 years ago.”

This drastic decrease in humidity, coupled with rising temperatures and faster drying times, underscores the critical need to focus on wildfire prevention. Making sure forests are prepared for natural wildfires is essential to preventing them from escalating into catastrophic events. By implementing proactive measures, West hopes to mitigate the destructive impacts of wildfires, protect ecosystems, and safeguard communities.

Collaborative Effort

Watson’s work with the Joint Chiefs’ project involved collaboration with various agencies beyond NRCS and the Forest Service, including American Forest Management, the Montana DNRC, and other local groups.

Dietz played a key role in managing the property using creative approaches like hand thinning and selective logging tailored to the forest’s specific needs. “Working with NRCS has been very good, they’re very responsive.” Dietz says. 

Under the leadership of Johnson, NRCS provided technical support and funding, which was crucial to the project’s success. “This was a multi-year process with revisions and drafts trying to get this thing off the ground,” Johnson says. “It’s been super cool to see the whole thing take place.”

Mike West, with Flathead National Forest, ensured alignment with broader goals, such as creating safe and resilient environments. Two new sections of road were added to improve access for fire response. “To be able to get in and out when fire season gets busy is critical,” West says. “This is one of our highest-risk wildlife-urban interface areas, so providing alternate routes was essential.”

Challenges and Achievements

Managing invasive species and restoring native plants were significant challenges. The project’s first phase involved thinning and logging to remove overgrown and diseased trees, including those affected by mistletoe. One tactic utilized was girdling, which involves making multiple cuts through the bark horizontally around the tree. This process results in the trees being killed in a manner that allows them to stay standing, resulting in the creation of snags that are critical for cavity nesting wildlife species.

“We girdled a thousand trees,” Watson says, explaining the process. “This means cutting through the cambium or the tree’s circulatory system, which is located on the outside rim just under the bark.” He notes the trees take a year or two to die because the inner part is already dead, with only the outer layer still growing. Due to the damage from the mistletoe, the trees have no value and eventually die off over time.

Commercial harvests, hand thinning, and mastication—a method of grinding biomass into small pieces—were used to manage the understory and improve soil nutrients. These efforts have led to an increase in local wildlife, including elk, demonstrating the effectiveness of habitat improvements.

“We’re preventing the spread of disease, but at the same time we’re not eradicating all the wildlife habitat,” Watson says.

By managing fuel loads and creating fire breaks, the project not only made it easier for fire crews to control wildfires but also protected nearby homes and recreation areas. “In today’s era of mega fires and the kind of fire behavior we’re experiencing, you’ve gotta have a pretty robust fuel break for it to be effective,” West says. He explains a lot of the treatment depends on what the strategy is, the prevailing winds, and the fire history. West estimates they’ve done at least 25 to 30 miles of connected fuel break through the project.

“It’s not if, it’s when this will be a primary line of defense to keep a large fire out of the community in Kalispell and Whitefish,” West says.

Watson’s commitment to community engagement has also been crucial. He has actively shared his experiences, encouraging neighbors to adopt similar forest management strategies. His efforts have helped secure state grants for local fire-wise projects, further enhancing community safety.

The results of the Joint Chiefs’ project are clear in the positive changes on Watson’s land. Areas once overrun by invasive species are now restored with native plants, wildlife populations have increased, and water quality has improved. These successes show how effective the project’s strategies are and highlight the impact of working together for conservation.

Watson’s experience has inspired neighboring landowners to consider similar approaches for their own properties. By showing the benefits of targeted conservation practices, the team has helped promote a growing movement toward sustainable land management. His success has earned him recognition, including being named Montana’s Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year in 2022 and the Western Region Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year in 2023.

“Jim’s been a super good landowner to work with because he knows what forestry is,” Johnson says. “He’s allowed us the flexibility to treat it like it needs to be treated.”

Future Plans

Looking ahead, the focus will be on continuing restoration work and expanding conservation practices. Johnson is working closely with West to rewrite the Joint Chiefs’ plan for the next three years. Jim Watson’s vision of a sustainable forest will guide these ongoing efforts.

“If we can do good forest management in a fire-wise manner and provide a home for wildlife, we’re rocking it,” Watson says with pride in his eye. His commitment, supported by his partners, ensures that the forest will remain vibrant and healthy for generations to come.

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