© 2001 The Washington Post Company
June 26, 2001
By Mark Matthews
Special to The Washington Post

Parts of the Lolo National Forest on the Ninemile Ranger District have witnessed armies of people march through during the last 10 months. Last summer, thousands of federal workers and others fought wildfires that scorched about 72,000 acres in Lolo.

This spring, more than 1,000 people have returned to the burned areas to cash in on a valuable by-product of fire -- morel mushrooms. The morel crop is booming, a result of less competition from other plants, more sunlight getting through to the forest floor and the nutrients in the ash.

"We haven't been able to do our regular jobs. We've had 10 to 12 people standing in line for permits," said Jamie Bras, a clerk at the ranger station.

By June, Bras and others had issued more than 1,000 permits -- half to commercial pickers. About 6,000 pounds of mushrooms are being harvested every day on the Ninemile, said resource assistant Ken Britton. An area farmers' market was selling the morels for $8 a pound. Sutton Place Gourmet in the Washington area charges $29.99 a pound for fresh morels.

Other forests in Montana, where more than 900,000 acres burned, are experiencing much the same run on morels.

On a good day, picker Bao Chanthavy, of Anchorage, Alaska, makes about $150. Chanthavy quit his job at a seafood processing plant to pick morels. "I like it a lot," he said. "I like to exercise my legs."

Chanthavy plans to stay "until no mushrooms are left." If cool temperatures persist, along with periodic snow and rain, the picking season in western Montana could last until fall.

Last December, Ninemile employees began hearing rumors that "we would be invaded" with mushroom pickers, said Britton. "But we didn't know this would happen."

For guidance, Ninemile employees began contacting workers at forests in Oregon, where mushroom picking is an annual event. They printed permits and decided how much to charge -- for pickers, $20 for seven days; $100 for the season. A buyer's permit costs $500. Personal use permits are free. Ninemile has designated 10 group-camping areas for mushroom pickers and charges $20 for camping permits -- which cover the cost of portable toilets and trash pickup.

Ninemile also hired a liaison person who speaks Cambodian, Laotian and Spanish to mingle with the pickers. Britton and the district's law enforcement officer frequently visit the camps.

Litter has become a problem, and the camps also may have a detrimental effect on the local bear population.

"Bears have been wreaking havoc, tearing open trash bags at the camps," Britton said. The bears could be killed by state wildlife officers if they do that around homes.

Ray Risho, head chef and owner of Perugia in Missoula, has been offering a daily special of baked stuffed morels.

"People just order the morels with everything," said Risho. "I had to come out here and see what it was all about." Error: Unable to read footer file.