Lincoln County officials are asking residents to use wood debris left over from the last three storms instead of throwing it away.

The county landfill recently requested that residents temporarily stop disposing of large tree materials, including logs, trunks and main stem wood products. Residents are encouraged, when possible, to salvage and repurpose usable wood materials for firewood, milling or other uses.

The Lincoln County Health Department said in a March 19 press release that the landfill is experiencing capacity and operational challenges due to the large volume of storm debris generated from recent weather events across the county.

“Landfills operate under strict space, safety and regulatory requirements. Materials must be managed, sorted and staged appropriately to ensure safe operations, fire prevention and compliance with environmental standards,” county Public Health Manager Zach Sherbo said. “At this time, debris from the first storm event remains on site and is awaiting potential federal disaster declaration, mitigation and formal inspection, which limits the landfill’s ability to process additional large volume materials.”

Local, state and federal officials worked to determine damage estimates that exceeded $10 million and Gov. Greg Gianforte submitted a request Jan. 10 to Trump to issue a presidential Major Disaster Declaration.

The formal request has been on Trump’s desk for more than two months. 

A watchdog that tracks the federal response to natural disasters said 21 weather-related requests, including four appeals, are pending. In a March 20 update, The Revolving Door Project said Trump issued 41 major disaster declarations and denied 18. 

Lincoln County’s request is one of the outstanding 21, including four others in Montana. One request in the last year, from the Crow Tribe, was granted for work following a severe rain, flooding and wind storm in May 2025.

The declaration is critical for local communities because it frees up federal resources, including money to reimburse households, rebuild infrastructure and invest in preventive action in anticipation of future weather-related disasters.

Sherbo said the county is actively developing a mitigation plan for these materials and coordinating with local and state partners to identify safe, efficient and compliant solutions.

The landfill will continue to accept: branches; root wads; small tree limbs; and brush.

Community cooperation, including assisting neighbors with cleanup and reuse efforts, will help reduce strain on landfill operations during this time.

“We appreciate the public’s patience and understanding as agencies work together to manage  storm impacts and maintain essential services,” Sherbo said. “Updates will be provided as additional disposal options become available.”