Gov. Gianforte Lights Up Forest Service for Not Fighting Fires

HELENA, Mont. – Governor Greg Gianforte blasted the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) in a letter for mismanagement and an unwillingness to aggressively fight fires on federal land.

"The State of Montana is committed, and will continue, to show up and fight fire aggressively and safely within its wildfire protection," the governor wrote. "It is my expectation that the USFS meet that same commitment within its jurisdiction and responsibility as well. However, as we discussed, I have concerns about several fires this season where USFS is not being honest with the public and partners about its suppression strategies."

In the letter to USFS Chief Randy Moore, the governor criticized the Forest Service for not honoring longstanding cost share agreements, a lack of transparency, and for not aggressively attacking fires under its jurisdiction.

Under a new interpretation of cost share agreements, USFS has proposed the State of Montana pay for a third of the firefighting costs on the recent Horse Gulch fire, even though less than 1 percent of the fire burned on lands under state protection. The Horse Gulch fire near Helena burned more than 15,000 acres in August and is estimated to cost $25 million.

The governor also raised concerns about the leadership and effectiveness of Regional Forester Leanne Marten. Specifically, he pointed to instances where Marten framed fire monitoring as full suppression.

"Throughout the season, DNRC line officers have offered recommendations to USFS line officers on how to be transparent about its suppression strategies. Those recommendations were met with either an unwillingness to listen, or silence," the governor wrote. "Frankly, framing fire monitoring as part of full suppression is insincere, confusing, and misleading to Montanans who deserve the truth about wildfire incidents across the state."

The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) is responsible for fire protection on over 50 million acres of land throughout the state and works closely with the USFS on wildfires and forest management projects.