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| December 11, 2006 |
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| BILLINGS, MT - Congressman Rehberg's office will facilitate a meeting involving the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC), southwest Montana landowners, fire district officials, and county government officials affected by the 2006 Derby Mountain fire. The meeting will be held Tuesday, December 19, at 10:00 a.m., at the Stillwater County Pavilion, (county fairgrounds), 328 5th Avenue North, Columbus, MT. "The Derby Mountain fire burned 26 homes and over 230,000 acres and had a tremendous impact on southwest Montana," said Rehberg, a member of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus. "I believe it's a good idea to bring together all the affected parties for a constructive dialogue and see if there are things that can be done that would avoid such loses in the future," Rehberg said. The meeting will be open to the public and provide an opportunity for local residents and officials to provide comments and input on the response and suppression efforts over the four-week duration of the fire. "Land owners, residents, local fire districts, and state and federal agencies all share the same goals when it comes to protecting Montana's natural resources," said Rehberg. "That's why it's important to make sure there are open lines of communication before, during, and after events such as the Derby Mountain Fire. This meeting will be a productive discussion between Montanans and the agencies responsible for implementing fire policy." The meeting will be conducted by senior members of Rehberg's staff, and will involve Forest Service officials from the Custer and Gallatin National Forests, along with members of the Montana DNRC, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), local rural district fire officials, area land owners, and county commissioners from Stillwater and Sweet Grass counties. Derby Mountain Fire Review Stillwater County Pavilion, 328 5th Avenue North, Columbus Tuesday, December 19, 10:00 A.M. Congressman Denny Rehberg's Office Randy Vogel, State Director / Keli McQuiston, Natural Resources Field Representative Local, State, Federal Attendees: Bob Harrington, Montana State Forester, DNRC Nancy Curriden, Forest Supervisor, Custer National Forest, USFS Becki Heath, Forest Supervisor, Gallatin National Forest, USFS Sandy Brooks, Billings Field Office Manager, BLM Keith Martin, Chairman, Absarokee Rural Fire District Cory Conner, Assistant Fire Chief, Sweet Grass County Maureen Davey, Stillwater County Commissioner |
