Wildfire Adapted Missoula Project in Montana

A Joint Chiefs' Landscape Restoration Partnership Project

The goal of the Wildfire Adapted Missoula partnership is to address shared wildfire risk by mitigating current wildfire hazards surrounding the Missoula community via prescribed fire and thinning maintenance. Fuels reduction treatment projects will be strategically placed in the project area around Missoula.

Benefits

This project is made up of 454,000 acres of land including 167,000 acres in the Lolo National Forest. Wildfires across the project area in the last 15 years have had impacts on communities and native wildlife. The Rattlesnake Municipal Watershed is in the project area and it serves 72,000 people as a backup watershed for Missoula residents. The areas is also home to iconic and at risk species such as the Canada Lynx, Grizzly Bear, and Bull Trout. The project will support implementation of a targeted Community Wildfire Protection Plan including activities to restore and maintain wildfire resilient landscapes across boundaries, reduce hazardous fuels within the community and a general protection zone, and increase the margin of safety for wildland fire responders and the public.

Partners

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the U.S. Forest Service as well as many other Federal, state, county, and local entities:

• Bureau of Land Management
• Frenchtown Rural Fire District
• Missoula County Community & Planning Services
• Missoula County Department of Emergency Services
• Missoula County Fire Protection Association
• Missoula Fire
• Missoula Parks and Recreation: Conservation Lands Management and Open Space
• Missoula Rural Fire District
• Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation
• The Nature Conservancy
• USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station

Application

While EQIP applications are accepted year-round, applications for this local initiative must be received by November 17, 2020 to be considered for the first FY2021 funding period.

Applications were due March 13, 2020 to be considered for the FY2020 funding period.
Applications were due May 17, 2019 to be considered for the FY2019 funding period.

Applicable Conservation Practices

• Forest Stand Improvement (666)
• Woody Residue Treatment (384)
• Fuel Break (383
• Herbaceous Weed Control (315) - Ground or Backpack Application
• Critical Area Planting (342)

Payment Rates

Montana Payment Schedules

Montana is committed to reaching out to Historically Underserved individuals and groups. Historically Underserved participants may also receive higher payment rates in addition to being considered in high priority funding pools. Historically Underserved rates are listed as HU in the Practice Payment Schedule. See the Small & Limited and Beginning Farmers and Ranchers page for the NRCS definition of the Historically Underserved.

Ranking Criteria

NRCS uses the Conservation Assessment Ranking Tool (CART) for all application assessment and ranking. Learn more about CART.

Local Ranking Questions

1. Does the EQIP contract leverage the management of natural resources across land ownership (public-private) boundaries?
2. EQIP project is located in an area that is within the same 12-digit hydrologic unit as high priority projects on public land as identified in the selected JCLRP project proposal?
3. Is the application within 1/4 mile of major infrastructure (state highway, power lines, etc.)?
4. Is the application located within the wildland urban interface (WUI)?
5. Does the application have a home-site on the property and will the defensibility of that site be improved by the treatment?
6. Does the application have only one point of egress option?
7. Does the application include treatment along the egress corridor?
8. Will slash be treated by non-burning methods?
9. Do scheduled practices build upon or complete practices that the landowner has implemented within the last 5 years?