Much has changed since 1986, the last the Lolo Forest Revision was made. Now the Forest Service is looking for input about this multi-year process that will affect snowmobilers, hikers, mountain bikers, horseback riders, berry pickers, hunters, fishing-folk and everyone else that recreates, somehow, in the woods.

A revision was started in 2006 but unraveled, so this is another chance to become involved. Amanda Milburn, Revision Team Leader, said the process is off to a very good start.

“We had great participation for our first webinars, ranger chats, and revision team office hours. In February, we will continue to host events in anticipation of the first milestone in the Revision process: a draft assessment in the spring of 2023.”

For strong involvement in the process, workshops titled Common Ground in the Lolo are being held at Forest Service offices, including Missoula on Feb. 21, 6-8 p.m.; Plains on Feb. 22, 6-8 p.m.; and Superior and Seeley Lake on Feb. 23, 6-8 p.m.

These workshops will be interactive sessions that foster information exchange around what people value broadly on the Lolo National Forest, and their take on its current status and trends. The workshop content is the same at all locations, and individuals can attend online or in-person. While the workshop itself will run from 6-8 p.m., in-person attendees are welcome to join the presenters early to watch the Foundations for Revision webinar.

The webinars are virtual and informational presentations to help people prepare for the upcoming workshops and comment periods. There is an opportunity for questions and answers, but this format is not designed for dialogue.

The next one is Monday, Feb. 13 from 6 to 7 p.m. However, Meet the Revision Team hosted by Milburn is also virtual and are sessions for informal opportunities for dialogue with Wednesday, Feb. 15 being the next one from 5 to 6 p.m.

Ranger Chats are informal face-to-face opportunities for in-person dialogue hosted by the District Rangers once a month at their offices. Upcoming events include Plains on Feb. 10, 1-3 p.m.; Seeley Lake on Feb. 17, 1-3 p.m.; Ninemile on Feb. 17, 12-2 p.m.; Superior on Feb. 21, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.; and Missoula on March 1, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

The webinars are recorded and available in the Webinar Archive feature on the Lolo Revision Web Hub. This site is where you will find registration for the workshops and links to the virtual meetings. The website also includes a detailed calendar of events and a library feature called Meeting in a Box where you can find useful information on the revision process. Looking ahead to March, Milburn anticipates events centered around Wild and Scenic Rivers, species diversity, and at-risk plant and animal species.