Capital 360 Works Collaboratively in Forest Management Across the Greater Helena Area

Capital 360 is committed to working together, across all lands to implement forest management and wildfire risk reduction projects across the greater Helena area. Through a shared stewardship and collaborative cross-boundary approach, Capital 360 strives to create resilient communities and landscapes. Implementing the Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy’s three priorities of restoring and maintaining resilient landscapes, creating fire adapted communities, and improving effective wildfire response is our approach to success.

To have maximum benefits, Capital 360 is taking a systematic approach in using the best science, resources and tools available. We will, in cooperation with agencies across jurisdictions, take full advantage of opportunities where we can be more effective and efficient with resources. Leveraging partnerships is key and continues to prove beneficial in securing funding and getting more on-the-ground work done.

Capital 360 will utilize the Montana Forest Action Plan to guide future areas of work. Capital 360 will also serve as a model for other groups across the State who look to implement the Cohesive Strategy and Montana Forest Action Plan. Learn more >

Capital 360 members have a discussion at their July 2019 meeting.

Working Together

Over the last five years agencies and organizations in the greater Helena area have been accomplishing great forest management and wildfire preparedness activities under the title Capital 360 and with funding from two Joint Chief's Landscape Restoration Partnership grants.

Capital 360’s foundation began with discussions of how best we all (partners, agencies, landowners and organizations) can work together to effectively and efficiently implement forest management and wildfire risk reduction projects across all land ownership in targeted areas.

Currently partners, including the DNRC and USFS are working to move Capital 360 beyond specific grants and projects. The focus now is to add form, structure and an organizational framework that will carry Capital 360 into the future.

Capital 360 is taking an incremental, persistent, cross boundary and shared stewardship approach to forest management and wildfire preparedness so more work can be done to help our communities and forests. We will strive for forest treatments on public and private lands to be strategic and landscape scale.

Long standing partnerships in this area serve as the implementation mechanism for landscape-scale projects and contribute to the continued success of forest restoration, hazardous fuels reduction and wildfire risk reduction projects conducted by a variety of entities.

Capital 360 members have a discussion at their July 2019 meeting.

Challenges

As Capital 360 strengthens and grows, with it comes challenges. Below are three challenges Capital 360 is currently working on:

· What is the best governance and organizational framework
· How to utilize existing and ongoing collaborative efforts
· How to engage and communicate without creating redundancy

Partners

For more information on Capital 360 visit www.capital360.org and be sure to check out Projects and Get Involved on our website.