How much Montana landowners pay for firefighting resources based on antiquated process, according to legislative audit

How much Montana landowners pay for firefighting resources based on antiquated process, according to legislative audit

Montana’s system of determining how much landowners should pay for wildland firefighting resources has drifted out of balance since its inception decades ago, according to a legislative audit published in April. Under the Fire Assessment Program run by the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, the state’s firefighting costs are partially paid for through fees assessed on 5 million acres owned by private citizens. The properties acros…