Conservation groups in Montana are fighting a national forest over a logging road project on the Idaho-Montana border.
The Beaverhead-Deer Lodge National Forest recently signed off on a new project to burn trees and put new logging roads in the Continental Divide, the border of land shared by Idaho and Montana.
Three conservation groups have united to sue the national forest because of the danger the groups say this new project will inflict on animals in that region.
Michael Garrity, the executive director of Alliance for the Wild Rockies, says the logging roads would be harmful to wildlife like grizzlies, lynx, sage grouse and other animals in the region.
"Most grizzlies are killed within a third of a mile of a road because if people see something like a grizzly bear, they get out and shoot it, which is illegal, but that's what happens," Garrity said.
For this reason, the groups say grizzlies and other animals tend to keep their distances from roads. Installing new roads into these areas would cut off where the animals can roam.
The Rocky Mountain grizzly population in particular, is still listed as one population from when they were put on the Endangered Species list in the 1970s. Putting roads in the divide could cut off groups of the population, Garrit said.
"Conservation biologists say that if we want species to survive in the long run, we can't have isolated populations," Garrity said.
Another issue in the location of the proposed logging roads is that sage grouse have leks there, where they go for elaborate mating rituals.
The Alliance for the Wild Rockies has sued the national forest over similar issues in the past and won those cases. They are confident that if this case goes to court, judges will rule in their favor.
Because of this precedent, Garrity is concerned that the actions on the part of the national forest are careless.
"They're wasting, you know, taxpayers’ money by making us sue because the Department of Justice attorneys are going to have to defend them,” Garrity said. “And I'm sure there's a lot better things the Department of Justice attorneys could be doing rather than defending illegal projects by the foresters."
According to legislation from President Richard Nixon, national forests are not supposed to conduct projects like this without first seeking public comment. Garrity says because the national forest chose not to do this, the conservation groups’ only option for objection is a lawsuit.
“Now the only way to get them to stop it is to sue them," Garrity said.
You can learn more about the lawsuit by visiting the Alliance for the Wild Rockies website.