MISSOULA — Last year, wildfires burned nearly 100 square miles of wilderness in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex. Now, U.S. Forest Service officials face the task of cleaning up the mess left behind and restoring the trails.
Officials say last year’s wildfire season was not the largest but was substantial, with dozens of fires burning across the complex.
Spotted Bear District Ranger Deb Mucklow tells the Missoulian it will cost $250,000 to restore 122 miles of burned-over trails in her district, but she’s only got $80,000 to spend.
The Forest Service also is reducing its backcountry trails funding by 30 percent over three years for the region covering Montana and parts of Idaho, North Dakota and South Dakota. Mucklow says she is waiting to learn how those cutbacks will be allocated.