The Nez Perce cabin that sits nestled in the lodgepole forest near Old Faithful now has a fighting chance to withstand a wildfire as a result of some hard work by the Montana Conservation Corps (MCC) and Yellowstone firefighters. The MCC completed a fuels reduction project around the cabin in October.
“The cabin is very defendable from an operational standpoint,” said Fire Management Officer Joe Krish. “It is now a safe place to set up pumps, hose lays, etc., in the event a fire threatens it.”
The park has a commitment to provide meaningful work for the MCC through their contract.
“It’s a great partnership we have with Montana Conservation Corps,” Krish said. “They spent more than a week camping at the cabin while they were completing the work. They did an outstanding job.”
While the project met the contracting direction of the National Fire Plan, it also mutually benefited the park and the MCC.
“This project also created an opportunity for a few members from the fire crew to get some crew boss training by providing day to day supervision and direction,” Krish said. “There’s a potential for these kids to come back in 10-20 years and see that the work they did made the difference in saving a popular backcountry cabin.”
The Nez Perce cabin was built by the Army in the 1930s and was threatened by the 1988 North Fork Fire.
Contact: Joe Krish, Fire Management Officer
Phone: (307) 344-2180
*This story supports the National Fire Plan |
