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By registering a Timber Heritage license plate for your vehicle, you are supporting the Montana Timber Legacy Foundation, an organization on a mission to ensure generations of healthy forests for future Montanans.
Educating and Rallying Support for Responsible Forest Stewardship
The Montana Timber Legacy Foundation is working to achieve this mission by establishing timber harvesting best practices, standards, and principles for the timber harvesting industry that uphold its commitment to being a steward of Montana's forests and by providing programs and supporting organizations that educate timber harvesters, and all Montanans, on how to manage our forests responsibly.
Timber harvesting is a vital tool for forest management and, when applied strategically and sustainably, can contribute to the health and safety of our forests, communities, and environment.
Through strategic, sustainable timber harvesting, we can:
Maintain healthy, sustainable forests by removing excessive growth to reduce overcrowding and removing dead and diseased trees to provide a better environment for growing healthy trees and plants.
Enhance woodland safety for recreationists and infrastructure.
Aid in the fight against climate change.
One way the Montana Timber Legacy Foundation educates and promotes responsible forest management is by supporting programs and events that inform the future stewards of Montana’s forests about responsible forest management and opportunities in the timber harvesting industry.
Montana Forest Products Industry Week
In celebration of Montana Forest Products Industry Week every October the Montana Timber Legacy Foundation and Montana Logging Association support an interactive event for students to promote, educate, and celebrate Montana’s forest products and those who work hard to produce them.
High school students from Anaconda, Phillipsburg, Deer Lodge, and Drummond, and members of the Anaconda Jobs Corp take a guided tour of a Timber Sale site and lumber mill where they learn where the material to make Montana’s wood products come from, what it is like to be a modern timber harvester, and why managing the State’s forests is essential for the health and safety of Montana.
Montana FFA Ag Expo and Career Fair
Every November, the Montana Timber Legacy Foundation and Montana Logging Association attend the Montana FFA Ag Expo and Career Fair held at Montana State University – Bozeman. It is an excellent opportunity to visit with high school students, educate them about modern timber harvesting practices, and promote career opportunities in the forest products industry.
Montana Natural Resources Youth Camp
The Foundation is also a proud supporter of the Montana Natural Resources Youth Camp at the Lubrecht Experimental Forest in Greenough, Montana. The camp is held every July for students ages 14-18, where they learn about the State’s natural resources and how they are managed.
Thru the Trees
Thru the Trees is a video contest for high school students that encourages students to explore forest and forest products industry careers and learn more about responsible forest management. Through the celebration, promotion, and sharing of these videos by the many organizations in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington that support Thru the Trees, the public also has the opportunity to learn more about the forest and forest products industries.
REAL Montana
A program offered by Montana State University’s MSU Extension, REAL Montana “builds a network of informed and engaged leaders to advance the natural resource industries in Montana.” It is a two-year program that includes classes, tours, networking opportunities and travel throughout the state. The Montana Timber Legacy Foundation is proud to be a program sponsor and an active participant in educating students on the importance of responsible forest management and Montana’s proud timber harvesting industry and heritage.
Supporting Those Who Support Our Communities
The Foundation also proudly supports organizations that share its values and support our communities.
A.L.E.R.T. Air Ambulance Program
The Montana Timber Legacy Foundation is a proud, long-time supporter of Logan Health’s Advanced Life Support and Emergency Rescue Team (A.L.E.R.T.) air ambulance program, a vital life-saving tool for Montana’s rural communities.
The program was established in 1975 and was the second hospital-based advanced life support helicopter system and the first rural ambulance service in the nation. Since its creation, the program has responded to more than 20,000 emergency calls, saved thousands of lives, and is always on standby, ready to fly into action.
Society of American Foresters
The Society of American Foresters has been working to restore early logging equipment at the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula. Recently, the Foundation financially assisted the restoration of this 1918 Holt 75 tractor now on display in the museum.
You can support the Montana Timber Legacy Foundation through a tax-deductible contribution or donate by registering the Timber Heritage license plate the next time you register your vehicle!