Lincoln County Commissioners sign support letter for forest stakeholders collaborative

The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners voted May 20 to sign a letter of support for the Quinney/Cooney Forest Stakeholders Collaborative’s grant application to the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC).

Jennifer Nelson, Lincoln County forester, introduced Tim Dhy and Julie Thirstston, who asked the commission to sponsor a DNRC local government assistance grant to cover facilitation costs for the long-running collaborative. “This is Jennifer Nelson, Lincoln County Forester,” Nelson said when making the introduction. Tim Dhy described the group’s history and funding needs, saying the collaborative has been operating “for damn near 20 years” and that “facilitation is the biggest cost of our organization.”

The collaborative, Dhy said, includes foresters, resource managers, conservation groups and motorized and nonmotorized recreation interests and has worked closely with the Forest Service and ranger districts on multiple projects. Dhy and other presenters told commissioners the group has successfully intervened on projects and previously received grant funding from DNRC and the Montana Forest Collaborative Network.

Commissioner Brent moved to sign the support letter; the motion was seconded and approved. Staff will scan and send the signed letter to the presenters as requested.

Why it matters: The collaborative seeks facilitation funding to continue multi‑party planning and reduce the likelihood of litigation by negotiating management approaches among user groups and the Forest Service. The county’s endorsement is commonly requested by stakeholder groups to evidence local support in state and federal grant applications.

What’s next: County staff will finalize and transmit the signed letter to the collaborative’s contacts.