Montana Forest Consultants

The purpose of conservation: The greatest good to the greatest number of people for the longest time.

-Gifford Pinchot

The purpose of conservation: The greatest good to the greatest number of people for the longest time.

-Gifford Pinchot

About Us

our "why"

Montana's forests are at a crossroads. Due to past neglect and mismanagement, our forests have transformed in ways never previously documented. Many of our forests are overstocked as a result of this. Overstocked forests reduce the overall vigor of individual trees through excessive competition and makes them less resilient to insects and disease, drought, and other disturbances; which in turn causes mortality. All of this together, makes for a perfect storm of high severity wildfire conditions. Wildfires are a natural occurrence, vital for our forests, but they are not natural when our forests aren't either. At Montana Forest Consultants, we are not just forest management enthusiasts, but lifelong learners dedicated to the restoration of our landscapes and communities.

As a Montana bred company working with landowners on the ground, our dedication lies in making tangible differences. We believe in initiating change at the grassroots level, consolidating local Montana resources to tackle larger challenges head-on. We, as Montanans, are here to promote a shared understanding: Large differences indeed start on a small scale, and whether you have 1 acre or 100,000 acres, our approach using local expertise and diverse experience provides the springboard to forge a path forward through the intricacies of forest management across a landscape.

About Us

Meet Zack Bashoor - Owner

Befitting to my work, my love for forests is bolstered through my roots. After receiving firefighting certifications out of high school, my education was continued at the University of Montana in Forest Resource Management and Wildland Fire Science. Throughout those years, I was a firefighter for the United States Forest Service where I logged five-thousand hours on the fireline in 6 different states.

I started Montana Forest Consulting company: Montana Forest Consultants, in 2016, providing full-service forestry consulting to landowners and agencies. This has allowed me the opportunity to service and collaborate with landowners, contractors, community members, and land agencies on a broad and diverse scale; whilst playing a role in rehabilitating thousands of acres of invaluable range land and forested land in Montana.

our "why"

Montana's forests are at a crossroads. Due to past neglect and mismanagement, our forests have transformed in ways never previously documented. Many of our forests are overstocked as a result of this. Overstocked forests reduce the overall vigor of individual trees through excessive competition and makes them less resilient to insects and disease, drought, and other disturbances; which in turn causes mortality. All of this together, makes for a perfect storm of high severity wildfire conditions. Wildfires are a natural occurrence, vital for our forests, but they are not natural when our forests aren't either. At Montana Forest Consultants, we are not just forest management enthusiasts, but lifelong learners dedicated to the restoration of our landscapes and communities.

As a Montana bred company working with landowners on the ground, our dedication lies in making tangible differences. We believe in initiating change at the grassroots level, consolidating local Montana resources to tackle larger challenges head-on. We, as Montanans, are here to promote a shared understanding: Large differences indeed start on a small scale, and whether you have 1 acre or 100,000 acres, our approach using local expertise and diverse experience provides the springboard to forge a path forward through the intricacies of forest management across a landscape.

Meet our MFC Team

Our team is full of passionate individuals with diverse experience poised to execute complex projects from end to end

Zachary Bashoor

Founder & CEO

Bayley Butler

Office Manager

Milda Kristupaitis

Consulting Biologist & Forestry Specialist

Dylan Shields

Consulting Forester

Roger Ziesak

Forestry Operations Manager

Jon Lewis

Restoration Specialist

Erin Clark

Strategic Development & Partnerships Director

Duncan Hanron

Restoration Specialist

Call our team for a complimentary assessment and evaluation for your property.

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Zachary Bashoor

Befitting to his work, Zack’s love for forests is bolstered through his roots. After receiving firefighting certifications out of high school, his education was continued at the University of Montana in Forest Resource Management and Wildland Fire Science. Throughout those years, he was a firefighter for the United States Forest Service where he logged five-thousand hours on the fireline in 6 different states.

He started Montana Forest Consultants in 2016 with one vision in mind: To apply a strategic team’s knowledge and experience in helping create healthy and sustainable relationships between people and the land surrounding them by providing full-service land management consulting to landowners and agencies. This has allowed Montana Forest Consultants the opportunity to service and collaborate with landowners, contractors, communities, and land agencies on a broad and diverse scale; whilst playing a role in rehabilitating tens of thousands of acres of invaluable range land and forested land in Montana.

Bayley Butler

Bayley is the glue that holds it all together to ensure smooth day-to-day operations, supporting the team as they manage multiple field projects. Her background in operations and administration ensures the team is equipped with necessary safety and forestry supplies. She developed a deep appreciation for wild spaces at a young age in rural Montana, which ignited her passion for conservation and creative problem-solving. Bayley loves contributing to meaningful projects that protect ecosystems while continuing to learn and grow as a vital part of the dedicated team at MTFC.

Milda Kristupaitis

Milda is passionate about reforestation, project management, and monitoring. She enjoys her work on tree-planting initiatives and the development of survey and monitoring programs. Her research background is founded on growth and defense tradeoffs in beetle-infested ponderosa pines, and she served as a biological specialist assessing seedling survival in fire-affected landscapes. She loves outdoor activities, which has driven her interest in forest ecosystems.

Dylan Shields

Dylan oversees ground operations, crafts treatment prescriptions, develops management plans, and collaborates with contractors and agencies. He enjoys guiding landowners through the process of achieving sustainable, healthy forest solutions. He loves seeing the light in their eyes when he turns uncertainty into satisfaction with each project’s results. In his free time, Dylan explores new ecosystems across the West and combines his passion for nature with his curiosity for innovative approaches to land stewardship.

Roger Ziesak

Roger has been a forester since 1980, working across the Northwest, California, and coastal Alaska. His passion for the outdoors makes evaluating forests and providing recommendations to maintain health, improve conditions, and reduce fire risk a rewarding task. Roger’s holistic approach to forest management, combines quality control, contract administration, and project oversight, to consistently deliver positive client outcomes. He brings a wealth of knowledge for timber marketing to offset costs and, most importantly, is committed to supporting sustainable solutions and inspiring others with his dedication to the environment.

Jon Lewis

Jon divides his time between fieldwork and the office, where he creates maps. His passion for the outdoors started in early childhood and continues to inspire him as he assesses properties, envisions improvements for forest health, and aligns those visions with landowner goals. He is motivated by seeing projects through to completion. Outside of work, Jon enjoys reading and staying active outdoors to prepare for the demanding landscapes he encounters in his profession.

Erin Clark

Erin is a forest scientist with a passion for connecting people and forests. In her role, she is focused on building relationships, securing funding for landowners, and exploring carbon removal and sequestration opportunities in forest management. She is a lifelong lover of trees and nature, and her passion began with a concern for invasive plant species, which led to a Master’s in Forest Science from Yale. She embraces Montana’s unique landscapes and spends her work and non-work hours in the forest, trail running, skiing, hiking, and nature journaling.

Duncan Hanron

Duncan plays a crucial role in fieldwork for project planning and implementation, utilizing his UAS pilot’s license. He is developing a drone survey program to bring multispectral and thermal capabilities to the team while also managing the fleet of vehicles and equipment. Seeking a career connecting him with the outdoors and allowing him to impact forest health and resilience, he left his desk job and joined our team. Duncan is passionate about wildfire mitigation, finding fulfillment in improving landscapes. In his downtime, he enjoys hiking, forestry, and exploring innovative tech solutions for conservation.