contact Michael Garrity, Executive Director, Alliance for the Wild Rockies, (406) 459-5936
Conservationists File Lawsuit to Protect Rare Species from Going Extinct in Kootenai National Forest
Missoula, MT — Located in the far Northwest corner of Montana, the Cabinet-Yaak region of the Kootenai National Forest provides essential habitat for imperiled grizzly bears and critical habitat for Canada lynx, two species protected under the Endangered Species Act as threatened with extinction.
Today, the the Alliance for Wild Rockies, filed suit in Federal District Court to protect these species from the U.S. Forest Service’s unlawful plan for massive clearcutting and roadwork in this biologically rich area.
The “Young Dodge” logging project includes: (1) 2,492 acres of logging (including clearcuts, one of which is nearly 400 acres in size); (2) 3,986 acres of prescribed burning; (3) 97.3 miles of new road maintenance and improvement and the addition of 8.85 miles of roads added to the transportation system; (4) three forest plan amendments to allow for large clearcuts; and (5) logging in old growth stands over a 10-year period.
The logging project is located in the Cabinet-Yaak ecosystem, home to the most endangered population of grizzly bears in the contiguous U.S. Only 45 bears remain of this distinct population, which is currently being considered for a separate listing as an endangered species.
According to the government’s own biologists, the massive clearcuts and roadwork planned for the project would likely displace and harm grizzlies for nearly 10 years.
“Grizzly numbers in the Cabinet-Yaak ecosystem continue to decline every year,” said Mike Garrity, Executive Director of the Alliance for the Wild Rockies. “In spite of these falling grizzly bear numbers the Forest Service plans to commercially log thousands of acres, open up roads, and use low-level helicopter flights in occupied grizzly habitat. It’s well-known science that low-level overflights by helicopters ‘harm and harass’ grizzly bears in violation of the Endangered Species Act. Even though we cited the law, judicial opinions, and the agency’s own policies that ban such activities, the Forest Service refused to listen. So now we’re compelled to go to court.”
“We haven’t seen an industrial logging project like this in years and never one in occupied, critical habitat for lynx,” said Matthew Bishop, attorney for the Western Environmental Law Center. “It’s important that we hold the Forest Service accountable. Our environmental laws embody our values and priorities as a Nation and ensure important habitat for imperiled species like grizzlies and lynx is protected. Unless these laws are enforced, they’re meaningless,” added Bishop.
