An aerial tour over the Lolo National Forest highlights growing interest, collaboration, and momentum surrounding the forest plan revision as it moves closer to a public reveal and the 90-day comment window.

Just after sunrise on a recent summer morning, a group gathered at the airport for the second time in two years to participate in an overflight of the Lolo National Forest. Hosted by EcoFlight, a nonprofit organization that uses small aircraft to help people better understand conservation issues, landscapes, and communities, the event included significantly more participants than the previous year, reflecting a growing interest in the ongoing Lolo National Forest Plan Revision as the Draft Plan and the DEIS move closer to public release in the late summer of 2026.

From the window of the six-seat Cessna, this small corner of the 2.3 million acre Lolo National Forest in western Montana’s Rocky Mountains revealed itself in a way no computer screen can replicate. Rugged ridgelines stretched toward the horizon, eventually giving way to the snow-covered shoulders of Lolo Peak. Each gentle turn of the aircraft and dip of the wing offered a new perspective on the landscape below. Narrow creek bottoms converged into the broad ribbon of the Clark Fork River, illustrating just how interconnected this landscape truly is.

The Lolo National Forest faces growing challenges, including larger and more severe wildfires, increasing recreation pressure, and the need to maintain secure wildlife habitat. Areas such as Marshall Mountain, Woody Mountain, and the Fish Creek landscape illustrate how recreation use can overlap with important big game winter range and security habitat, while future road development and travel planning in traditionally backcountry areas will require careful consideration. The upcoming and revised Land Management Plan will help guide how these challenges are addressed, balancing habitat, clean water, recreation opportunities, forest products, and the economic benefits that support local communities. From the air, participants could see examples of this work already underway near Missoula, Frenchtown, Alberton, Superior, and Lolo, where forest management projects are helping reduce wildfire risk, improve watershed health, and build more resilient forests and communities.

“You can learn about an area on the ground, but an aerial view really helps connect the dots,” said Chet Crowser, Missoula County’s Chief Lands and Communities Officer. “Seeing wildlife habitat, recreation areas, forest management projects, and nearby communities all in the same view reinforces just how important it is to approach these issues collaboratively.“

TRCP’s mission is to ensure all Americans have access to quality places to hunt and fish, and that commitment fuels our active role in forest plan revisions. We work closely with partners and the forest’s planning team to keep wildlife habitat, public access, healthy communities, and resilient forests at the center of future management decisions. The flight’s passengers represented local governments, conservation organizations, sporting groups, journalists, community leaders, and the next generation of public land users, all of whom have deep interest in keeping the Lolo National Forest working as intended.

A bird’s eye view of forest planning

This marked the second consecutive year that the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) coordinated an overflight of the Lolo National Forest. In addition to seeing the landscape from above, the flight provided participants with a shared view of the opportunities and challenges that will help shape the upcoming Lolo Land Management Plan Revision.  Seeing wildlife habitat, recreation areas, active forest management projects, and nearby communities in the same frame reinforced the importance of thoughtful, collaborative planning for the forest’s future.

The Draft Land Management Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) are expected to be published in early fall, beginning a 90-day public comment period.  On the morning of the flights, Lolo National Forest Supervisor Ben Johnson joined participants on the ground to learn firsthand what’s important to them about the Lolo National Forest.

Recognizing the importance of coordinated engagement and diverse interests in the forest, TRCP has convened and continues to lead a Lolo Forest Plan Revision Collaborative that includes conservation organizations, sporting groups, wildlife advocates, local partners, and other stakeholders interested in the future of the forest. Many of this year’s flight participants are active members of the collaborative.

The Lolo from the Air

After coffee, conversation and pastries, the flights began. As the aircraft crossed the greater Missoula area and entered the airspace of the Lolo, the bigger picture of the forest came into focus. Participants viewed the wildlife movement corridor of the proposed Sixmile underpass on Interstate 90 that would connect the large ecosystems of the Northern Continental Divide and the Greater Bitterroots, an important connection point in western Montana. Conversations in the air focused on wildlife movement and habitat connectivity, which are major themes that many conservationists hope to see in the new land use plan for the Lolo.

“Seeing our landscapes from the air is so fascinating! The views (even with the smoke), the conversations in the plane, getting disoriented and then reoriented… it all highlighted how people share a love for the land and for our communities. It’s inspiring to see how connected we all are. Working across boundaries is really important to successful stewardship and the flight gave us a whole new perspective on building those cross-boundary connections,” said Cindy Super, Forestry & Prescribed Fire Coordinator for the Blackfoot Challenge.

Farther west, participants observed portions of the Sawmill-Petty landscape, where active forest management projects illustrated how forest health, wildlife habitat, local jobs, and community resilience are often interconnected. From above, the patchwork of timber harvest projects from the Sawmill-Petty projects that support local economies in communities like Alberton and St. Regis spread out like a quilt. These projects both create and sustain jobs while also improving big game forage and habitat by allowing sunlight to reach the vegetation beneath the forest canopy.

A topic that surfaced throughout the morning was balancing growing recreation use with the needs of wildlife habitat and security. In several areas, participants observed how recreation destinations, like the Fish Creek area, overlap with important habitat, reinforcing the need for thoughtful management that supports both conservation and recreation.

The flight also highlighted proactive forest management near communities, where fuel reduction and mining restoration projects are improving overall forest health and reducing wildfire risk. Resilient watersheds, forests and healthy communities go hand in hand.

“The Lolo has been a tremendous partner in restoration efforts like the work in the Ninemile watershed,” said Jeff Lukas of Trout Unlimited. “From the air, you can see how connected these landscapes really are. It reinforces why long-term collaboration is so important for improving habitat, protecting water quality, and making sure these places continue to benefit fish, wildlife, and local communities.”

A 10,000 foot view of our forest’s future

As our plane descended towards the Missoula International Airport, I thought of one of my grandpa’s favorite sayings. “You can’t land on a runway that’s behind you,” he would say with a chuckle. He understood that aphorism firsthand. He flew during World War II and later owned a small plane, often taking us grandkids on flights over the Ohio countryside. Those are some of my fondest memories.

Looking back, I realize his saying wasn’t really about flying. It was about the importance of looking ahead. Forest planning is much the same way.

What stood out to me most was that interest in the Lolo’s future is gaining altitude. By the time the planes touched down on the tarmac, it was clear that more people than ever are committed to helping chart the course for one of western Montana’s greatest public resources.

As the Lolo National Forest Plan Revision moves toward its public release of the Draft Plan and DEIS, TRCP will continue working with partners, community leaders, and agency staff to ensure that hunters, anglers, and all who value these public lands have a strong voice in the process. Stay tuned to TRCP channels for updates, opportunities to learn more, and your chance to weigh in once the 90‑day comment period opens.

Like we said after last year’s flight, if you’re a hunter, angler, or anyone who values Montana’s public lands, this plan will impact you. It’s up to us to shape how the Lolo is managed for decades to come, so let’s ensure the plan revision reflects the values we hold dear: thriving wildlife habitat and connectivity across the landscape, clean and cold water, and sustainable uses that support hunting, fishing, and our local economies.

For more information, check out the Lolo National Forest Land Management Plan Revision Hub.

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