Technology center’s tank full of ideas lets loose for celebration

Missoula’s Technology and Development Center, run by the U.S. Forest Service, is not just a think tank. It’s a think-and-solve-the-problem tank, where inventions become solutions for real-life forestry problems.

On Saturday, the center’s work is on display for the public, with tour guides to show and explain the details, history and use of many of its important inventions, from fire shelters to better parachutes to ways of keeping bears from stealing food in the backcountry.

It’s all part of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the U.S. Forest Service, and involves open houses and public tours at several locations, including the Museum of Mountain Flying, the National Museum of Forest Service History, the Technology and Development Center, and the Missoula Smokejumper Center.

Missoula’s technology center is one of two run by the Forest Service; the other is in California. Proposals come in from the field, a steering committee screens the requests, Washington funds the projects, and Forest Service engineers and experts tackle the problems and test the solutions.

By MEA ANDREWS of the Missoulian

Full Story: http://missoulian.com/articles/2005/06/18/news/local/news05.txt