Fierce opposition from area residents has delayed a
plan to improve grizzly bear habitat in Idaho’s Targhee National
Forest. The Forest Service recently agreed to an out-of-court
settlement with environmental groups to close hundreds of roads in
an area adjacent to Yellowstone National Park (HCN, 4/4/94). But
during an environmental assessment of the new plan, 2,000 people
sent in comments opposing the closures. Now, forest officials say
there will be up to a two-year delay while an environmental impact
statement is included in the 10-year forest plan. District Ranger
Dave Dillard says people were angry about reduced forest access and
feared an influx of grizzly bears. One resident even worried about
bears in downtown Ashton eating children. Dillard says moving ahead
against people’s wishes could trigger a backlash that would harm
the bears. He says the delay will allow time to clear up public
misinformation. Louisa Willcox, program director of the Greater
Yellowstone Coalition, says the Forest Service is “chickening out,”
reports the Teton Valley News. The coalition and 11 other groups
had sued the agency for failing to consult with the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service over logging in grizzly habitat. Currently, no
grizzlies live in the area. For more information, contact the
Supervisor’s Office, Targhee National Forest, P.O. Box 208, St.
Anthony, ID 83445 (208/624-3151), or Greater Yellowstone Coalition,
P.O. Box 1874, Bozeman, MT 59771
(406/586-1593).
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Grizzly road delays.
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