In a series of court cases over more than a decade, Earthjustice and our clients have worked to protect wilderness-quality lands within Montana’s Bitterroot National Forest against a rising tide of motorized and mechanized backcountry use, and from massive timber sales.

Ruling affirms protections for some of wildest landscapes in continental United States

Ruling affirms protections for some of wildest landscapes in continental United States

This declaratory judgment action seeks injunctive relief from the Bitterroot Travel Plan. The Bitterroot Forest lies in the Forest Service's Northern Region, or "Region l," and includes about 1.6 million acres located in west central Montana and a small portion of east central Idaho. Within the forest's boundaries are the Sapphire and Bluejoint Wilderness Study Areas and the Selway-Bitterroot and Bluejoint Recommended Wilderness Areas. Popular recreation activities in the Bitterroot include boating, fishing, hunting, gathering forest products, skiing, hiking, mountain biking, riding wheeled off highway vehicles and snowmobiling.

Travel Plan protects some of the wildest landscapes in the continental United States

Bitterroot logging plan settled after court-ordered mediation by conservation groups, the Forest Service, and the logging industry.

Federal judge overrules Bush administration

Says Forest Service was taking law into its own hands

Cite need to protect public’s right to appeal agency decisions