Standing up for the Great Burn can help us keep it Wild and protected for future generations
What We’re FocUSed on Today
STRONG Forest Management Plans
The GBCA advocates for strong administrative policies that protect the Great Burn wildlife and wildlands within our Mission Area.
Currently, we are focused on influencing strong conservation outcomes in forest plan revisions on the Nez Perce-Clearwater and Lolo National Forests.
We also regularly participate in planning and comment periods for forest-level projects in our area to ensure that the region’s wildlife and roadless areas are safeguarded.
PROTECTION FOR WILDERNESS AREA
Our policy work isn’t complete until the Great Burn Recommended wilderness and Mallard Larkins are permanently protected as designated Wilderness for future generations.
Together with our coalition partners, the GBCA works to build a broad coalition of support for Wilderness through:
Participation in collaborative groups
Grassroots organizing in the Great Burn’s gateway communities
Regular interaction with staff from the Idaho and Montana congressional delegations
WAYS TO ADVOCATE
VOLUNTEER ON THE BURN
Continued staffing strains on the US Forest Service and loss of key personnel pose a significant challenge to an already deep backlog of projects. As a USFS partner, we tackle essential maintenance and clean-up projects. Volunteering to join us on a project can help you explore new parts of the Burn and make a difference to its continued care and upkeep.
STAY INFORMED
The changes and policies we’re supporting on the Burn are often the result of multi-year processes. So it’s easy to forget something’s happening. Subscribing to the GBCA newsletter or specific US Forest Service newsletters can help you stay up to date on what’s happening on the land you love.
RECREATE RESPONSIBLY
We believe loving the Great Burn and exploring its vast backcountry makes you an advocate by nature. All our visitors can do their part to help the Burn by recreating responsibly. For us, that means practicing Leave No Trace principles, respecting trail or other closures, observing wildlife from a distance, and only using motorized vehicles where allowed.
SUBMIT A COMMENT OR CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES
Throughout planning processes and legislative sessions, there are opportunities for the public to submit comments or opinions on certain issues. These actions can feel intimidating, but they can be just as easy as sharing why you love the
Great Burn.
Throughout the forest planning or revision process, the public has opportunities to submit comments to the US Forest Service in support of or opposition to an issue. Outside of planning processes, you can share your support with elected officials regarding proposed or enacted legislation that affects the burn.
In neither case do you need to submit pages of letters to have your voice and opinions heard. A short email, letter, or voicemail will suffice.
The most important message you can communicate is why you love the Great Burn or feel the way you do. And it helps if you can summarize your thoughts in themes to help the recipient identify common patterns and points of disagreement.
You can also follow this basic structure for your comment:
Draft a polite greeting.
Introduce yourself and the issue you’re concerned about.
Share your point of view and reasons why you’re concerned.
Draft a clear call to action. This is what you want your recipient to do as a result of your comment.
Close with reminders of any upcoming deadlines or important dates and a summary of your concern.
Submitting a comment to the US Forest Service (USFS) is easy through its online comment database, the Comment Analysis and Response Application (CARA), when comment periods are open.
You can also submit comments via email through the agency’s Revision Inbox or by mail. You can send comments regarding the Great Burn Mission Area to the following:
HOW TO SUBMIT A COMMENT IN SUPPORT OF THE BURN
SEND COMMENTS TO THE FOLLOWING:
Lolo National Forest Supervisor’s Office
Attn: Lolo Plan Revision Team
24 Fort Missoula Road
Missoula, MT 59804
Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest Supervisor’s Office
1008 Highway 64
Kamiah, ID 83536
CAN’T VISIT THE BURN?
ATTEND AN EVENT
If you can’t make it out to the Burn or want short, daytime adventures, you can join us for a webinar, meet us at a fair, or join our guides on guided hikes and clean-up projects.
BECOME A FRIEND OF THE BURN
Make any recurring donation, and opt in to receive action alerts, volunteer information, newsletters, and other opportunities to get engaged to become a Friend of the Burn. You’ll join hundreds of others who are showing support for permanent protection of this special place.
BECOME A FRIEND OF THE BURN
Make any recurring donation, and opt in to receive action alerts, volunteer information, newsletters, and other opportunities to get engaged to become a Friend of the Burn. You’ll join hundreds of others who are showing support for permanent protection of this special place, so that it can stay Wild and available for generations to come.
