Ayres 1899 image from the Swan Valley. Note the openness of the Missions in the left-hand picture and the park like setting of Ponderosa pine and Larch in the right hand picture. USGS, 21st Annual Report, 1900.
December 8, 2021
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December 8, 2021 midnight
River Pigs and Flames in the Forest – Part 2
All of the forested ecosystems around Bigfork, the Swan Valley, and most parts of the western United States depend on fire. And while many of the fires we experience during the summer here in Montana are started by lighting, there is large body of natural evidence, as well as traditional knowledge, that points to the immense influence of burning carried out by indigenous people and tribes.