MISSOULA – The University of Montana recently was selected to lead one of the first-ever Regional Innovation Engine awards from the National Science Foundation. UM’s project is designed to advance precision forestry and rangeland technologies. As with the 43 other awardees selected across the country, UM will receive an initial $1 million over two years. This will support and develop a team that will create an implantation proposal, which could lead to as much as $160 million in additional regional economic investment over 10 years. UM has 18 partners on the project all working in forest and rangeland management. They include regional research universities and tribal colleges, national nonprofits, federal and state agencies, industry associations and venture capital firms. …Julia Altemus, director the Montana Wood Products Association, said a plan developed by the Montana Forest Action Advisory Council has identified 3.4 million acres in the wildland urban interface as high priority acres in need of restoration.