DNRC, American Forests unveil newest greenhouse
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News from DNRC
MISSOULA — The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) and American Forests celebrated the unveiling of a new 4,320-square-foot greenhouse at the Conservation Seedling Nursery on Wednesday, June 5, to support reforestation efforts across the state.
“There’s clearly a need for more seedlings for reforestation because of bigger and more severe fires,” said Matt Arno, DNRC Forestry Assistance Bureau Chief. “The new greenhouse gives us added capacity to meet that need.”
Named after the Anaconda Mountain range, the new greenhouse is already growing 102,000 ponderosa pine seedlings for the Northern Cheyenne Tribe to replenish their seed bank as part of their post-fire recovery plan. The nursery is projected to grow up to 239,000 seedlings per year.
“These large, severe fires can consume the natural seed bank necessary for forest regeneration,” said Arno. “As a result, we now rely more heavily on nurseries to supply tree seedlings needed to reforest at the pace and scale required to keep up with demand.”
This project was made possible by a $100,000 grant from American Forests and $100,000 grant from the U.S. Forest Service.
“DNRC has been a pivotal partner in establishing a regional forest pipeline,” said Wes Swaffar, Northern Rockies Director with American Forests. “These types of collaborations will continue to be key as private and public land managers work to restore resilient forests following wildfires, pests, disease and other impacts of climate change.”
The Conservation Seedling Nursery, established in 1927, is dedicated to providing high-quality seedlings for conservation projects on state, private, and Tribal lands. In 2023, the nursery served 830 customers.
