Ninemile Wildlands
Training Center
About the Ninemile Wildlands Training
Center (NWTC)
Contact Us
Letter 12/22/08
Course Schedule (updated 2/2009)
Course Descriptions (updated 12/2008)
Registration
Information (updated 12/2008)
About
the Training Center
The Ninemile Wildlands Training Center (NWTC)
is located at the historic Ninemile Ranger Station on the Lolo
National Forest in west central Montana. Our facility, the Ninemile
Remount Depot, is listed on the National Register of Historic
Places. The Remount Depot was built in the 1930's by the Civilian
Conservation Corps as a pack stock breeding/training facility
and is still a working ranch. Because of our unique facility and
history of training at the Remount, the NWTC was started in 1988
to again provide traditional skills training to Forest Service
employees. These classes cover all different types of traditional
skills: care and handling of traditional tools, horsemanship and
packing, historic building preservation and maintenance, and low
impact backcountry stock use.
So what's
a Heritage Expedition?
Heritage Expeditions is part of a program
that allows us (the Forest Service) to open the classes offered
by the Ninemile Wildlands Training Center to the public. In 1998,
we offered our first Heritage Expeditions here at Ninemile and
received a tremendous response. In this year's program we continue
to offer many heritage expedition courses.
In these learn-by-doing sessions, we spend
very little time in a classroom, most of the learning is hands-on
with instructors available to help every step of the way. We've
also added in some fun time: evening programs and music around
the campfire . . . you get the picture!
Why is the
Forest Service offering Heritage Expeditions?
When we started the Heritage Expeditions
program, we looked at the program as a way to bring in revenue
to restore and improve some of our facilities at the Ninemile
Remount Depot and at the old OTO Dude Ranch on the Gallatin National
Forest. We've found out that the financial benefit pales compared
to the personal relationships we've all developed with folks who've
attended the classes. Everyone that spends a week at Ninemile
has an opportunity to learn the history of the place, understand
the special niche it holds, and fall in love with a truly unique
corner of the world. Students also learn that the Forest Service
does more than just cut timber. We spend time talking about many
of the issues that are important to the local area, like managing
fish, wildlife, water and recreation, and protecting cultural
resources.
Contact Us
For more information, call us at: 406-626-5201
or write to us at:
Ninemile Wildlands Training Center
Ninemile Ranger Station
20325 Remount Road
Huson MT 59846