MISSOULA — in the Blue Mountain area in Missoula, trees with a blue ring painted around them are slated for removal as part of a larger plan to restore the forest to its pre-colonial state — a state that was more fire-resistant. The plan involves several agencies collaborating to achieve this goal. …The Blue Mountain Area consists of land owned by the U.S. Forest Service, Missoula County, the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) and private land owners. They will implement forest treatments to change the forest, as the current state of it is extremely fire-prone. …The ultimate goal of all the agencies is to create open areas with ponderosa pine scattered about. To achieve this, agencies are looking at a combination of mechanized and non-mechanized vegetation management; clearing the forest floor, often through prescribed burning, and removing species like Douglas fir.