Environmental groups sue over road management in Bitterroot National Forest

MISSOULA, Mont. – Local environmental groups have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. The lawsuit addresses concerns over road management in the Bitterroot National Forest and its impact on grizzly bears and bull trout habitats.

WildEarth Guardians, with an office in Missoula, is among the co-plaintiffs challenging these federal agencies. They argue that road building in the forest is reducing grizzly bear habitats and causing debris to fall into bull trout streams.

Adam Rissien, Rewilding Manager at WildEarth Guardians, expressed concern over the shrinking habitats for grizzly bears. "There's only core pockets where grizzly bears currently have secure habitats and those pockets are shrinking because the Forest Service keeps adding to the road network instead of getting rid of the roads that they don't need," he said.

The co-plaintiffs aim to ensure that grizzly populations have secure areas to inhabit as they move into the Bitterroot National Forest. Both the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service declined to comment on the pending litigation.

Rissien emphasized the importance of removing unused roads in potential wildlife habitats to create recovery areas for animals like grizzlies. "Grizzly bears are a wide-ranging species that are sensitive to the presence of roads and motorized disturbance, and we want to see their habitats protected," he added.

Earthjustice, a national group, is representing the local co-plaintiffs in this case. While the timeline for the lawsuit remains uncertain, a hearing could be held in Missoula.