Forest Service confirms plans to sell 14-acre Missoula Midtown property

A 14-acre federally owned property within the heart of Missoula's Midtown neighborhood could exchange hands in the next two years, the U.S. Forest Service confirmed to the Missoulian on Wednesday.

The land currently houses some of the Forest Service's Northern Region firefighting operations, historic preservation offices and more, which are expected to be relocated to other sites owned by the Forest Service in Missoula.

In an emailed statement to the Missoulian, an unnamed spokesperson for the Northern Region Public Affairs Office said the sale would help balance the agency's property portfolio and address deferred maintenance needs.

"This conveyance will ensure that the Forest Service continues to be a faithful steward of taxpayer-funded public lands and resources," the spokesperson wrote.

The statement also said the Forest Service plans to use a competitive bid process to sell the land, with a target of completing the sale by 2028.

The Montana Department of Revenue estimates the current market value of the land sits at just over $5 million, but does not have any tax requirements because of the federal ownership.

The property is located just south of 14th Street and a few hundred yards west of Russell Street.

Part of the property first served as a hub for the old Missoula trolley system that snaked across the city and outlying towns like Bonner. The system was decommissioned in 1932 with the rise of the automobile.

The Forest Service confirmed the federal government purchased the 14 acres in pieces between 1939 and 1945. Today, the property has several warehouse buildings and dozens of Forest Service vehicles on-site.

The operations on site would be moved to other locations in Missoula, according to the emailed statement.

The move comes at the same time as the Forest Service is constructing a new building at Fort Missoula that will be used for wildfire operation space, vehicle maintenance and locker rooms, the Missoulian previously reported, which replaced a World War II-era building.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has launched a massive reorganization of the Forest Service, including eliminating some regional offices and moving its headquarters to Salt Lake City, Utah.

The headquarters of the Northern Region, also known as Region 1, are located within Fort Missoula. The Missoulian reported that Missoula will host an operational service center, but it is unclear what responsibilities the center would retain.

“For an agency whose lands, partners, and operational challenges are overwhelmingly concentrated in the West, the shift represents a structural reset and a common-sense approach to improve mission delivery,” a press release on the larger reorganization said.