Carl Fiedler

A Story of Life: Carl Ernest Fiedler

July 20,1947 – January 17, 2026

Carl Ernest Fiedler, age 78, of Missoula, passed away on Saturday, January 17, 2026, following a lengthy illness. He was born on July 20, 1947, in Shell Lake, Wisconsin to Roy and Esther Fiedler. Carl grew up on a farm near Minong, Wisconsin and attended local schools graduating as valedictorian in 1965. Basketball, baseball, hunting, fishing and trapping were his favorite activities in the north woods which led to his lifelong love of the outdoors and his decision in third grade to become a forester.

He attended the University of Wisconsin for one year before transferring to the University of Montana where he earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in forestry. Carl served in the U.S. Army for two years in the 1970s and then completed his studies, earning a Ph. D. at the University of Minnesota.

Carl started his career in 1980 as a research forester with the USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station. In 1982, he took a position in the Department of Forest Management at the University of Montana, School of Forestry – now W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation. He retired in 2007 as Research Professor of Forest Management after a long distinguished and significant career.

Professional Life and Accomplishments

Carl had major and lasting influence on the practice and understanding of forest management. His pioneering work in forest restoration and uneven-aged management in the Rocky Mountains defined his professional legacy. Long before 'resiliency' became a buzzword, Carl was teaching the importance of active management to protect forests from modern wildfire threats. He served as a clear, authoritative voice for sustainable silviculture, tirelessly advocating for the health of ponderosa pine and mixed conifer forests that are an emblematic natural resource of western North America.

Carl was a mentor, committee member, and chair for numerous graduate students who went on to positively impact forest sciences and management throughout North America. His tireless research, keen editing, and passion for forestry inspired his students to achieve a level of managemnt that Carl felt our forests deserved.

He taught numerous courses in Silviculture and Forest Management in the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and provided guidance for forest management practices on the College’s Lubrecht Experimental Forest. As part of his educational outreach, he developed numerous applied courses on restoration approaches for land management agencies and small private landowners.

Much of Carl’s collaborative work involved the USDA Forest Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs and individual Tribes, and the State of Montana DNRC. Projects included developing old-growth guidelines for managing State Trust Lands, restoring ponderosa pine forests on the Mescalero Apache and the Confederated Salish, Pend d'Oreille , and Kootenai Reservations and publication with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service that proposed active forest management within suitable habitat for the threatened southwestern spotted owl that retained the owl’s habitat needs. He cooperated in modeling and testing (“computer logging”) alternative treatments and costs to reduce wildfire hazard on Montana’s 5 million acres of high-hazard forests. One of his publications recommended restoration approaches to sustain viable whitebark pine populations in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem vs the Northern Divide (Glacier-Flathead) Ecosystem

Carl particularly enjoyed providing forest management guidance to small landowners with diverse management objectives. The forest management advice he provided was a key part of plans for the Blackfoot Challenge and the E Bar L Ranch in the Blackfoot Valley of Montana.

His publications include 4 books, and scores of technical reports and articles, many in prestigious journals. He also made hundreds of presentations at scientific and technical meetings as well as public forums.

In efforts to encourage understanding of active management to reduce wildfire hazard Carl testified before two Congressional Committees and was often sought out by news outlets including the Wall Street Journal, the BBC, Arizona Republic, Los Angeles Times, Portland Oregonian, and numerous local outlets (such as the Missoulian and Bozeman Chronicle).

Carl was recognized internationally and was invited to present western U.S. approaches to restoration at Sweden’s first-ever conference on forest restoration. He also served as coordinator for the 2010 High-Five Symposium, an international meeting focused on the ecology, management, and sustainability of the world’s five-needle pines.

Carl served as Chair of the Inland Empire Reforestation Council from 1991-92; and Chair of the State of Montana Arboretum Committee from 1993-2006.

He received the USFS Sustainable Forestry Award in 1993; and was named a Fellow of the Society of American Foresters and a State of Montana DNRC Forestry Pioneer.

Personal Life and Love of the Outdoors

Carl loved the outdoors, spending his free days fishing, hunting, canoe racing, and hiking in Montana and throughout the west. His greatest outdoor passion was fly fishing on large and small streams around the west with his brother Dave and many friends. He especially loved Glacier National Park, hiking nearly every trail in the park and even some that led into Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada.

His hard-working and friendly nature served him well throughout his professional and personal life. If you needed help, he was there to lend a hand. His amazingly inquisitive scientific mind served him well in researching everything from his forestry work to finding another small stream for a fisheries survey. He especially researched everything about his battle with multiple myeloma which lasted for over 10 years.

Carl usually started his day with a 10-ounce triple shot americano along with a quality pastry, cookie, or donut. It was the way he started his day and was emblematic of his constant search for something better that would help with his research, fishing, hunting, hiking, or daily life. Carl's wish was that his ashes be scattered at the many beautiful streams and hiking areas he enjoyed in life.