76-13-702. Duties -- authority. To implement the policy of 76-13-701, the department of natural resources and conservation:
     (1) shall support sustainable forest management practices, including forest restoration, on public forests in Montana consistent with all applicable laws and administrative requirements;
     (2) shall provide technical information and educational assistance to nonindustrial, private forest landowners;
     (3) shall promote forest management activities within and adjacent to the wildland-urban interface and promote the implementation of community wildfire protection plans;
     (4) shall promote a viable forest and wood products industry and other businesses and individual activities that rely on public forest lands;
     (5) shall represent the state's interest in the federal forest management planning and policy process, including establishing cooperative agency status and coordination with federal agencies;
     (6) may assist local government entities in establishing cooperative agency status and coordination with federal agencies;
     (7) shall promote the development of an independent, long-term sustained yield calculation on Montana's federal forests;
     (8) has the authority to intervene in litigation or appeals on federal forest management projects that:
     (a) comply with the policy in 76-13-701 and in which local and state interests are clearly involved; or
     (b) involve fuel-loading conditions that the department considers to be a significant threat to public health and safety;
     (9) has the authority to enter into agreements with federal agencies to participate in forest management activities on federal lands; and
     (10) shall participate in and facilitate collaboration between traditional forest interests in reaching consensus-based solutions on federal land management issues.

     History: En. Sec. 2, Ch. 409, L. 2007; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 58, L. 2009; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 115, L. 2009.