Gov. Gianforte Announces 16% Savings in Fire Costs Through Cost-Sharing Negotiations

• October 13 2021

HELENA, Mont. – Governor Greg Gianforte today announced the state of Montana achieved a 16-percent reduction in fire costs for Fiscal Year 2022 from the Fire Suppression Fund through cost-sharing negotiations between the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) and the federal government.

“With a long and difficult fire season, our team at the DNRC achieved fantastic results for Montana taxpayers by ensuring our federal partners pay their fair share of costs this fire year,” Gov. Gianforte. “I strongly commend DNRC officials for being good stewards and protectors of taxpayer dollars.”

For only the second time in the state’s history, Montana entered the fiscal year with the Fire Suppression Fund at its statutory maximum of roughly $105 million for the biennium.  

As a result of DNRC’s cost-sharing negotiations with the federal government, the agency secured $9.2 million in savings for the state’s Fire Suppression Fund, with the state spending $47.5 million from the fund for FY 2022.

This year, Montana has seen more than 2,500 fires burn over 935,000 acres.

To reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire, Gov. Gianforte has made active forest management a priority for his administration.

“With the fire season winding down, we are shifting our focus to getting more forested acres into active management to mitigate the risk of catastrophic wildfires and reduce the threats they bring to our communities,” Gov. Gianforte said.

Earlier this year, the governor charged DNRC with more than doubling the number of acres treated in the state this year to 25,000 acres.

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