A new access management plan for the forests closes far too few roads - and roads kill grizzly bears, said the complaint filed by seven environmental groups led by the Missoula-based Alliance for the Wild Rockies.
Grizzly bear populations in the Cabinet-Yaak and Selkirk ecosystems number only about 30-40 animals, so few that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declared them warranted for listing as endangered species in 1999.
"The problem here is that these populations are endangered," said Mike Bader, a consultant to the Wild Rockies group. "And endangered is one step from extinction."
When a species is so seriously at risk, the Endangered Species Act "envisions some pretty extraordinary measures to bring it back," Bader said. "But the Forest Service is talking about closing just 70 miles of roads over nine years. That's just not addressing the problem."
In the appeal filed with Regional Forester Gail Kimbell, the environmental groups chided the agency for "failing to take appropriate action" to reduce the network of more than 20,000 miles of backcountry roads on the Lolo, Kootenai and Panhandle forests.
Yet bear biologists have found that more than 77 percent of human-caused bear deaths in the area occurred within one-third mile of a road, Bader said.
"The Kootenai National Forest alone has more than 7,500 miles of roads and motorized trails, yet they only plan to close about 70 miles," said Liz Sedler, a member of the Alliance's advisory board. "That's practically zero commitment to their legal mandate to recover grizzly bears."
Forest Service officials could not be reached to comment on the appeal late Monday.
Earlier this year, the three western Montana forests amended their management plans to better address the issue of road densities in grizzly bear habitat.
At the time, Kootenai Forest Supervisor Bob Castaneda said the amendments were "the closest to a win-win situation for the bear population, public access and resource management and protection."
The amendments would reduce the mileage of open roads on the three forests from 3,082 to 3,010. Another 353-498 miles of "not drivable" roads would be obliterated and reclaimed.
The remaining forest roads would stay open, and any further closures would be determined on a case-by-case basis.
On Monday, attorney Marc Fink said "the status of grizzly bears cries out for aggressive action."
Fink, the attorney for the Western Environmental Law Center who filed the appeal, said the management changes are actually "no change on the ground" and of no benefit to grizzly bears.
"It's timber as usual," he said.
"Grizzly bears are critically endangered; they're basically on life support," Fink said. "They need bold and aggressive action."
If the Forest Service does not respond to the appeal with tougher, pro-bear plans, the environmentalists will take their complaint to court, he said.
Joining the Alliance in the appeal were The Lands Council, Cabinet Resource Group, Great Bear Foundation, Selkirk Conservation Alliance, Natural Resources Defense Council and the Idaho Conservation League.
Reporter Sherry Devlin can be reached at 523-5268 or at sdevlin@missoulian.com
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