Published on March 04, 2026
HELENA, Mont. — Contract crews have begun addressing windthrown trees resulting from December’s major windstorm in the northwestern corner of Mount Helena City Park.
Each wind-damaged tree will be severed from the root wad, limbed, and topped. Cut waste material (slash) from each tree will be hand-piled for eventual burn disposal. Material larger than six inches in diameter will be retained on the forest floor in the form of logs. To help manage bark beetles, each retained log will be scored from butt to tip at three-inch intervals. Log scoring breaks up the phloem layer that bark beetles depend on and accelerates drying, which kills larvae and helps deter further infestation.
Signs are in place to alert trail users to active work in the area. No trails will be closed during the duration of this project.
For additional information, please contact Helena’s Open Lands Manager at (406) 447-8454.