Lincoln County Port Authority Revives Local Wood Economy One Warm Home at a Time
- Hannah Stinson
- Feb 17
- 4 min read
Libby, Montana, is a small town of just 3,000 people surrounded by mountains and hundreds of thousands of acres of forest. Dense conifer forests cradle the residential streets and town center and showcase a wildland-urban interface (WUI) community exactly as described in fire management textbooks; wildfire is well known in Libby, as are environmental challenges that dramatically changed their economy over the last century. Despite the struggle, this town has invested in its community and has high hopes for the future.
Sawmills closed, logging ceased, and the myriad of industrial roles that provided security for decades were no longer sustainable. The culture of the town could not erase the industry that built it; their school and local sports team mascot is still a logger today, and they often celebrate logger days as a community. The constant supply of small-diameter timber demands a market. Lincoln County Port Authority (LCPA), an economic development non-profit focused on rebuilding industry and growing Libby, is committed to the town’s comeback. They hold a Master Stewardship agreement with the USDA Forest Service to address wildland fire risk. Lincoln County was identified as the most “at-risk acres” for wildfire in the 2020 Montana Forest Action Plan. The Kootenai National Forest comprises 74% of the county’s land mass and combined with private and state land, nearly 80% of the county is forest. Hazardous fuels reduction across 2.29 million acres of the Kootenai National Forest is permitted through their stewardship agreement. Their agreement, which results in hundreds of thousands of board feet of firewood-grade logs removed from the forest, secured them an Alliance for Green Heat firewood bank assistance grant of $13,971 to get off the ground.
The economic development group acquired the grounds of an old sawmill after the last commercial operation closed due to a fire and Stimson Lumber donated the land to the county. Many of the original industrial warehouses are still standing and have been converted to phenomenal, extra-large wood storage facilities for the split pine and fir firewood. Their grant funded the delivery of three truckloads of logs to the storage site, and an industrial splitter was contracted to process the first hundred cords, partially funded by the National Forest Foundation.
Fire prevention is a lifestyle in northern Montana. Drier seasons lead to unprecedented fire seasons and based on a report “Profile and Development and the Wildland Urban Interface Study,” Libby is in the 97th percentile for potential fire risk out of all western counties. The non-profit promotes Fire Wise defensible space education and is actively engaged in the Alliance for Green Heat’s Firewood Community Safety Initiative. Through AGH’s 2026 FEMA-sponsored safety program, LCPA hosted a Free Wood Stove Education and Safety Fair in their city hall.
The mild winter did not stop firewood and woodstove users from attending and receiving free wood stove and fireplace safety tools. Libby’s Volunteer Fire Department cohosted with the Alliance for Green Heat and taught the community about basic wood stove safety, fire protection, and fire prevention practices. Over 30 toolkits were distributed to lifetime and new firewood users. The fundamentals of fireplace and woodstove safety cannot be said enough in a community where wildland fires threaten residential homes annually. They simply cannot afford the loss of structures and property due to negligence or under-maintained chimneys.
Fire Chief Steve Lauer confidently shared that chimney-related fires are the most common residential fire calls they receive in the winter. Attendees had the option of taking home a rotary chimney sweep kit, 10-year battery-operated combination smoke and CO alarms with installation, a metal locking ash bucket, and a magnetic wood stove thermometer.
Attendees learned about safe wood burning practices like routine chimney cleaning and inspection, the importance of seasoned firewood, efficient and effective stove operation, and safety measures firewood users should take to protect themselves from smoke and preventable fire. Attendees represented a diverse community; however, many experienced predictable disadvantages like old stoves, prior structure or wildland fire, and heat insecurity. All attendees who received tools fell into a vulnerable demographic where income, age, and access increased their risk of fire.
The last few decades have not been easy for Lincoln County. Local unemployment is higher than the state average, and confidence in Libby’s future requires rewriting their community mission and planning for resilience. Helping neighbors stay safe while reducing the collective community risk is the ideal role for firewood banks. Lincoln County Port Authority met their community with something they needed and developed lasting relationships with folks who can feel the benefits of community-supported heating assistance immediately. They are excited to start their first firewood recipient list based on the interest shown at the safety fair.
