PCA Putting on Bear Suit

Predator Conservation Alliance and coalition of conservation organizations have filed a lawsuit challenging the Gallatin National Forest’s management of Off Road Vehicles (ORVs) in grizzly bear habitat. The goal of this case is to compel the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to analyze, minimize, and mitigate the adverse environmental impacts of motorized travel – including off-trail ORV use, and off-trail and late-season snowmobile use – on grizzly bears, their habitat, and other wildlife that bears need for food.

The Gallatin contains the second highest acreage of grizzly bear habitat of any national forest in Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Yet 91% of trails on the Gallatin National Forest outside of designated Wilderness are open to ATV’s and motorcycles. Virtually all of the forest outside of wilderness areas is open to unrestricted snowmobile use.

Over the last decade, off-road vehicle use has increased dramatically on the Gallatin National Forest. Almost every corner of the Gallatin is suffering from increased year round motorized use. ATVs and motorcycles begin using low elevation trails as soon as they dry out and snowmobiles don’t stop using the high country until as late as Memorial Day. This late season snowmobile use is especially harmful to bears because it continues after they have emerged from their dens. The Forest Service acknowledges that snowmobiles may create a problem for grizzly bears stating that "the potential for post-emergence conflict between grizzly bears and snowmachines may exist." However, their continued failure to do anything to protect the bears pushed PCA into court to protect the bears.