Forest fire costs gobble up trail maintenance funding

PUBLIC LANDS — Last year’s record-setting wildfire season only exacerbated what’s been an ongoing problem with funding for maintaining national forest trail systems.  Kudos to lawmakers who are raising the issue.

Montana senators put USFS chief on the hotseat over wildfires, trail funding
U.S. Sens. Steve Daines and Jon Tester serve on the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, allowing them the opportunity last week to ask U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell about the Forest Service’s allocation of trail funding and the agency’s progress on logging high-priority areas.

Tidwell laid the blame for impeded progress on both issues at the door of redirected funding to fight wildfires.

— Helena Independent Record