Montana’s forest resources, 2006–2015

This report presents a summary of the most recent Forest Inventory and Analysis summary of Montana’s forests based on field data collected between 2006 and 2015. The report includes descriptive highlights and tables of area, numbers of trees, biomass, volume, growth, and mortality, as well as an industry report. Most sections and tables are organized by forest type or forest-type group, tree species group, diameter class, or owner group. Results show that Montana’s forest land covers 25.9 million acres, of which 7 million acres (27 percent) are privately owned, and 15.5 million acres (60 percent) are administered by the USDA Forest Service. The State’s most abundant forest type is Douglas-fir, which covers more than 7.5 million acres. Lodgepole pine is the most abundant tree species by number of trees 5.0 inches or greater in diameter, and Douglas-fir is the most abundant by volume and biomass. Montana’s forests contain 42 billion cubic feet of net volume in trees 5.0 inches diameter and larger. Montana had a negative mean annual net growth of all live trees 5.0 inches diameter at-54 million cubic feet per year over the report’s evaluation period (2006–2015).