Gov. Brian Schweitzer kicked off a two-day conference in Kalispell on Thursday by remarking how conflict has evolved into collaboration over time in addressing challenges in managing sustainable forests and communities.

Schweitzer and the Governors Institute on Community Design co-hosted the "Working Forests, Managing Communities' conference at Flathead Valley Community College.

Schweitzer marveled about how forest management issues are now settled through collaborative efforts, compared to how the situation was dominated by conflicting minority interests less than 20 years ago.

"When you get to timber, you know how it is: You have some people who are for cutting trees and you have people who are against cutting trees," he said. "Unfortunately, in the past, they made a living off being in conflict."

But many environmentalists and forest products advocates gradually came to realize they had common interests in sustaining healthy environments and communities, which involves sustaining jobs and the state's wood products sector.

"Before they didn't fit in a room, and it didn't matter how big the room was. Now they are starting to fit in a room … you're in the room today," Schweitzer told the audience of nearly 150 people who indeed represented a variety of interests.

Schweitzer said part of the past disputes came about because people oversimplified the positions of their opposition.

"I haven't met a logger in Montana yet who says, you know, 'I'd like to put some silt in the river and kill fish,'" he said, getting a laugh from the audience.

Montana faces immediate challenges in managing its forests, especially those between Helena and Butte that are plagued with bark beetle infestations. Schweitzer said he has land in the Helena area with beetle problems he has tried to address.

"I have red trees on my place too, a lot of dead trees," he said, noting that he called in a logging contractor and had a plan for harvesting the trees, but the contractor offered a mere $2 a ton for the timber.

"The problem right now is we have a lot of timber that needs to be harvested, but it's selling for a low price" because of depressed lumber markets, he said.

And that creates a challenge for maintaining Montana's remaining sawmills, which form the infrastructure for forest management.

There also is a need for Montana's communities to be developed and maintained in a way that does not expose them to eventual wildfire, simply to save on immense costs associated with fighting fires.

Schweitzer summed up the purpose of the conference. "We are going to discuss ways of creating a sustainable future," he said.

"We have to remember we can't get the job done unless we do it through collaboration rather than conflict."

The governor was followed by a lineup of speakers on topics ranging from wildfire in the wildland-urban interface to changes in forest ownership, a panel discussion on ways to support communities and forests, and breakout sessions on related topics.

The conference continues today at FVCC's Arts and Technology Building. It is open to the public.

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com