Stewardship award given to log home builder
by JENNY HARRIS - Ravalli Republic
DARBY - Rocky Mountain Log Homes was recently honored for their commitment to maintaining a healthy elk habitat in recent work with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.
The Elk Foundation presented RMLH with the Montana Spring Mink Stewardship Project Award last month, at the Foundation’s annual meeting in Las Vegas.
The stewardship project was a joint effort between RMEF and RMLH to implement a U.S. Forest Service stewardship contract that provided timber for local mills and reduced hazardous fuels while improving elk habitat in the Bitterroot National Forest.
RMEF and RMLH joined together in pre-commercial thinning and slashing on nearly 700 acres and installing 11,000 feet of fireline.
RMLH harvested dead conifers from units selected by the Forest Service, while RMEF came in afterward and cut down smaller trees and dug firelines, preparing the area for a prescribed burn that took place last spring. Because of the thinning and burning, the area is slated to grow to its historical condition of a ponderosa pine forest making for a healthy winter range for elk habitat, according to RMEF Director of Habitat Stewardship Services Al Christophersen.
Christophersen said the foundation was pleased to give RMLH the award.
“We gave the award on behalf of the foundation, to celebrate stewardship between many industries in the name of protecting healthy elk habitat,” he said.
“Rocky Mountain Log Homes has been really good about supporting the elk foundation, our mission and programs,” he said. “The award is to acknowledge the partnership in working in support of the program and being engaged in programs that support land stewardship. RMLH allowed us to meet our objectives and goals within our new stewardship program and they’ve showed a lot of trust and belief in the foundation. We’re happy to acknowledge and award them for such.”
RMLH Vice President of Resource Operations and Forester Pat Connell accepted the award.
“We were very much surprised, when the award was given to us,” Connell said. “I accepted it on behalf of co-workers and RMEF’s clients because forestry doesn’t exist without people wanting the product. We worked as a family to ensure a double outcome that benefits everybody n reusing dead wood for humans and enhancing habitation for elk.”
“We’re very pleased about the award and hope this is the first step in combining like efforts in forestry and conservation.”
Connell said RMEF and RMLH plan to continue stewardship work, by joining efforts on slashing, pulling back slash branches from trees and safe ground burns in hopes of reducing fire risk substantially.
“It was a great process working with them,” he said. “We’ve got two parallels in our organizations that we’re hoping is a first step toward getting some good things done out there,” Connell said.
Reporter Jenny Harris can be reached at 363-3300 or at jharris@ravallirepublic.com
Reader's Comments >>