Forest Service reverses course on trails budget cut

The Forest Service has reversed course on a trail maintenance budget cut for Montana and other states in the Northern Region. Both Montana Sens. Steve Daines and Jon Tester criticized a move by the Service last week that would shift funds from states like Montana to southern regions where there are more people.

The funding shift locally meant a 10 percent reduction in funding this year and an additional 10 percent cut in the next two years. For the Flathead National Forest, it would have amounted to a $60,000 cut this year alone and more than a $160,000 cut total by year three.

Statewide, the measure would have cut nearly $1 million from Montana’s trails budget this year.

“Montanans use public trails to hike, hunt, and experience our great outdoors,” Tester said today after the Forest Service announced it would make the trails budget “nearly whole” again.  “These trails are critically important to our outdoor economy, and restoring these damaging cuts will allow folks to continue to explore Big Sky Country.  I appreciate the Forest Service taking another look at how important this is to Montana.”

“Montana’s National Forests and public lands are a treasured part of our state and today’s news ensures that Montanans will continue to enjoy our great outdoors,” Daines said. “As an avid outdoorsman, I know how important maintaining and expanding access to our public lands are for our way of life. This is a welcome step to see the Forest Service value Montanans’ feedback and I will continue to press the Forest Service for strong trail budgets for Montana each and every year.”

Tester is a Democrat and Daines is a Republican. Both men expressed displeasure at the budget cuts during a hearing earlier this month with Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell.