Insects and their effects on forest health will be the main topic of the next Kootenai Forest Stakeholders Coalition meeting in Libby.

Set for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10 in the upstairs conference room of the Venture Inn, the public and coalition members will hear from Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation's Rose Picklo, a forest pest technician.

Picklo, a University of Minnesota grad, has been with DCNR for two years.

She is a member of the Western Forest Insect Work Conference's Common Names Committee.

She made a presentation earlier this year on forest insect ecology in response to windstorm damage at the 16th annual Montana Forest Landowner Conference at Carroll College. Picklo also had an article published in the Seeley Swan Pathfinder on the tree-killing Douglas-fir beetle. (https://www.seeleylake.com/story/2025/03/06/opinion/bamboozling-the-beetle/10894.html).

There will also be updates on goings-on in the Kootenai National Forest from a local representative.

The upcoming Kootenai Forest Fair, set for Saturday, Sept. 26, is also on the agenda.

The board will also elect new members while district sub-committee updates from the Cabinet, Libby, Three Rivers and Rexford-Fortine Ranger Districts will be presented. There will also be a LOR proposal subcommittee for grants and funding and the annual report will be presented.

For anyone interested in applying to become a new board member, the application must be received by Isabelle Manning, KFSC Secretary, by 5 p.m. Friday.

For more information, contact Erin Clark, KFSC facilitator, at [email protected].

For those attending remotely, the Zoom link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84205240829?pwd=OKcxBu8HczMP7NlTK7bNcVv9CuYeX7.1.

The meeting ID is 842 0524 0829 and the passcode is 732267.

For one tap mobile, the information is listed below.

+12532158782,,84205240829#,,,,*732267# US (Tacoma)

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