Lubrecht State Experimental Forest
The Lubrecht State Experimental Forest is a tract of protected land located in Missoula and Granite County, Montana, owned and managed by the W.A. Franke College of Forestry & Conservation, of the University of Montana. Land Use. Up until 1992, the W.A. Franke College of Forestry & Conservation had operated various programs that centered around spending either a quarter term or semester working within the boundaries of the forest to learn about forest management and to study the history of certain tracts of land used for logging decades prior. Today the Lubrecht Forest is used as a classroom  by the W.A. Franke College to teach subjects such as forest ecology, controlled burns, and studies of surface and groundwater measurement. Flora and Fauna. The Lubrecht Experimental Forest features four major types of trees, the Western larch, Douglas fir, Lodgepole and Ponderosa. The Forest is unique compared to other protected areas in the state in that it annually sells timber to the community to help fund the upkeep of the area. Although the flora is the main focus of the Forest, there are still over 60 different species of wildlife in the area, including black bears, eagles, elk, and bobcats . History. From 1864 to 1937, the Lubrecht Forest was owned by the Northern Pacific Railroad, with some small tracts being sold off to the Anaconda Copper for the purpose of providing timber to be used in their mines. On December 24th, 1937, the Andaconda Copper Company donated 19,058 acres to the state, and a further 1,210 acres two years later. The current acreage reflects small changes resulting in the buying and selling of parcels of land to and from private individuals.