The Forest Service Northern Region is allocating over $26 million from the Great American Outdoors Act to improve recreational opportunities for residents and visitors in Northern Idaho, Montana, and North Dakota.
Regional Forester Leanne Marten stated in a press release, “The projects aim to address crucial maintenance needs and enhance access for all visitors.”
Built in 1940, maintenance work on Window Rock Cabin in the Bozeman Ranger District was undertaken last year.
Forty-one projects in the Northern Region will benefit from funding to tackle the backlog of maintenance needs. Some examples of projects funded include:
The Custer-Gallatin National Forest used $579,000 from Legacy Restoration Funds to enhance and restore 25 historic cabins, lookouts, and homesteads in southwestern Montana for public recreation rentals.
A multi-year project in the Bob Marshall Wilderness will receive $11 million in funding for deferred maintenance. This project falls under the National Trail Priority Areas established by the National Forest System Trail Stewardship Act of 2016 and involves collaboration between Flathead, Lolo, Helena Lewis, Clark National Forests, and their partners.
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Flathead National Forest cabins: Eight rental cabins in the forest will undergo upgrades, including new floors, windows, and furniture, to ensure they remain enjoyable for future generations.
The work will involve replacing the roofs on Ben Rover, Schnaus, and Challenge cabins. Swan Guard Station, Old Condon Cabin, and Star Meadow Cabins will also receive utility upgrades and accessibility improvements to meet ADA standards.
The Trapper Creek Civilian Conservation Job Corps Center will deploy student and instructor crews to collaborate with Forest Service employees from the historic preservation, engineering, and recreation programs of the Flathead National Forest.
Dakota Prairie Grasslands: Deferred maintenance work will be carried out at the Civilian Conservation Campground near Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Additionally, the Maah Daah Hey Trail, which features the longest continuous single-track mountain bike trail in the U.S., will be repaired and upgraded, including the creation of accessible picnic areas and infrastructure for bikers and horseback riders.
This investment complements a recent proposal by the Departments of Agriculture and Interior for $2.8 billion in funding for similar projects in fiscal year 2025. The Northern Region has 171 Great American Outdoors Act projects in various stages of development, with 21 projects already completed.
