Over just a few years, Montana has proven a capable leader in conducting forest restoration work on federal lands under a Good Neighbor Authority agreement.

Despite the consensus of fire playing an important role in the health of our forests, forest management planners have been crippled by bureaucratic red tape preventing the use of controlled burns.

It's time for Montana to reassess what it can do to reduce future wildfire risk.

After a summer of flames and smoke, policymakers can—and must—improve policies to reduce the risk of future catastrophic wildfires.