REAL Montana Program Learns About Timber Industry

Dodson resident David Crasco just returned from Kalispell as part of REAL Montana (Resource Education and Agriculture Leadership). For David and other members of REAL Montana Class V, this was the sixth session in their two-year educational program.

The seminar was held September 14-16, and experts presented on the current state of the Montana timber industry, forest health, state and federal regulation, and how timber harvest impacts local economies. The class toured a timber harvest site, the F.H. Stoltze Mill, and the Weyerhaeuser MDF plant. The seminar concluded with a cultural training on Montana's Indigenous Peoples' tribal, family, and land structure.

"Every time I go to a REAL MT event," Crasco said, "it has just been a fantastic learning opportunity and the timber industry session was no exception. As we come to the midway point in the class, I am definitely ignited with a passion to learn more about Montana's natural resources and do whatever I can to keep our resource industries thriving."

Twenty of Montana's emerging and established leaders were competitively selected from a pool of qualified candidates representing a wide variety of agriculture and natural resource industries across the state to take part in Class V of REAL Montana. Each seminar includes a mix of educational speakers, tours, and professional skill building designed to build a network of informed and engaged leaders to advance the natural resource industries in Montana. The mission of REAL Montana is to build a network of informed and engaged leaders to advance the natural resource industries in Montana.

REAL Montana is funded through a partnership with Montana State University Extension and private industry.  Oversight is provided by an advisory board of industry leaders. The program will begin accepting applications for Class VI beginning January 1, 2024.

Complete program information is available at http://www.realmontana.org or by contacting the REAL Montana staff at [email protected].