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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

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Court rejects Forest Service plan for snowmobiles in Montana

Snowmobiles are restricted on some public lands. (File)
Snowmobiles are restricted on some public lands. (File)


WINTERSPORTS -- A federal appeals court has decided the U.S. Forest Service failed to thoroughly analyze or publicize the impact of snowmobiles on wildlife in Montana’s Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest. 

According to the Associated Press, the 9th U.S Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday ruled that the Forest Service skirted multiple environmental and public-disclosure laws in its 2010 forest plan. It reversed a lower judge’s decision dismissing a lawsuit against the Forest Service’s snowmobile-use plan. 

The court sided largely with the three environmentalist groups that brought the complaint — WildEarth Guardians, Friends of the Bitterroot and Montanans for Quiet Recreation. 

Circuit Judge Richard Paez writes that although the plan decreased snowmobile access to about 2 million acres, it did not necessarily curb the impacts of the increasingly popular sport. 

The Forest Service offered no comment while the U.S. Department of Justice reviews the decision.



Outdoors blog

Rich Landers writes and photographs stories and columns for a wide range of outdoors coverage, including Outdoors feature sections on Sunday and Thursday.




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