REAL Montana program learns about timber industry; graduates natural resource leaders

Powder River County resident Darcia Patten just returned from Kalispell as part of REAL Montana (Resource Education and Agriculture Leadership). For Darcia and other members of REAL Montana Class II, this was the final session in their two-year educational program.

The seminar was held May 11-12, and experts presented on the current state of the Montana timber industry, forest health, state and federal regulation, trade, and how timber harvest impacts local economies. The class toured a timber harvest site, the F.H. Stoltze Land and Lumber sawmill, Weyerhaeuser MDF plant, F.H. Stoltze Trumbull Creek Educational Forest, and SmartLam Cross Laminated Timber manufacturing facility. The seminar concluded with a graduation ceremony for the Class II members, attended by program sponsors, spouses, and industry leaders. Bruce Vincent, and inspirational speaker and 3rd generation logger from Libby, provided a keynote address. In addition, REAL Montana Advisory Board member Taylor Brown served as emcee. In his charge to the class, Brown stated, "We are counting on you to use real science, real facts, real compassion, and to invest real commitment to make a real difference."

"This was a fascinating experience and very educational. We need to be proactive in our state and all of its natural resources."

Twenty of Montana's emerging and established leaders were competitively selected from a pool of qualified candidates representing a wide variety of agriculture and natural resource industries across the state to take part in Class II of REAL Montana. The graduation ceremony marked the end of a two-year program featuring eight in-state seminars; a four-day national study tour in Washington D.C .; and a ten-day trip to Colombia, which took place in January 2017. Each seminar included a mix of educational speakers, tours, and professional skill building designed to build a network of informed and engaged leaders to advance the natural resource industries in Montana.

REAL Montana is funded through a partnership with Montana State University Extension and private industry. Oversight is provided by an advisory board of industry leaders. The program is currently accepting applications for Class III through May 31, 2017.

Complete program information is available at http://www.realmontana.org or by contacting Janelle Booth, program director, at (406) 994-6480, [email protected].