The Eastern Wildlands Chapter educates and organizes citizens on wilderness issues close to where we live. Some of the best-known wild places in our area are the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, Pryor Mountains, Big Snowy Mountains, Crazy Mountains, and Tongue River Breaks. The chapter is governed by a board of directors, made up of local volunteers.

What we're working on now:

Custer National Forest - Beartooth District Travel Planning: The Travel Plan will decide if quiet trails and remote, secluded areas will remain in the Pryors and in the Beartooths.

 

WATCH PRYORS COALITION ADVOCATES ON TV!
KTVQ-Billings (Q2) Reporter Aaron Flint went into the Pryor Mountains to speak with Pryors Coalition Advocates and ATV users. This story broadcast statewide during the comment period for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement of the Beartooth Travel Plan, in November 2007. Features Dick Walton, MWA member-leader and longtome Pryors advocate.

The Forest Service has taken many of the recommendations of MWA and the Pryors Coalition and incorporated them into their plan as "Alternative C". This Alternative is not perfect, but it represents the best alternative the Forest Service is offering for keeping the Pryors wild and free.

Unfortunately, Alternative C is not currently the Forest Service's preferred alternative. Their preference, if adopted, will make the Pryors more and more susceptible to motorized degradation. This is an unacceptable way to manage such an incredible resource.

In the Fall of 2007, Eastern Wildlands Chapter advocates and the Pryors Coalition members organized hundreds of comments telling the Forest Service that we value our freedom to hike, hunt, ride horse, backpack, and fish in a quiet and rugged Pryor Mountains. We urged the Forest Service to adopt Alternative C.

The Custer National Forest is now reading these comments as part of their preparation of a final decision. Check back here for updates.

MWA supports:

1. Establishing non-motorized "Hiking and Riding Areas" in the Pryor Mountains, and in areas adjacent to the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Area.

2. Seasonal restrictions for motorized traffic during months with the highest risk of ecological damage.

3. Motor-free Wilderness Study Areas, and two non-motorized sections adjacent to the Custer National Forest.

Work with the Pryors Coalition: The Pryors Coalition was formed to help drive a positive outcome through the Travel Planning process. It is a coalition consisting of, but not limited to: the Eastern Wildlands Chapter of the Montana Wilderness Association; Montana Wilderness Association; the Yellowstone Valley Chapter of the Montana Audubon Society; the Frontier Heritage Alliance; Our Montana, Inc.; the Beartooth Back Country Horsemen; Back Country Horsemen of Montana; The Cloud Foundation; and many unaffiliated individuals.

The Pryor Coalition's "Vision" essentially calls for a healing of the land by confining motorized recreation to a generous network of more than 75 miles (plus additional connecting roads on BLM-administered land) that provide access to five enclaves designed to restore peace, quiet and predictability to resource management, thus providing multiple benefits for the agency, taxpayers, recreationists, wildlife, cultural resources, native plants, noxious weed control and more. The Pryors Coalition website provides information on this unique resource and tools you can use to help preserve the area.

BLM Travel Plan: The Bureau of Land Management is revising its Travel Management Plan for the Pryor Mountains. BLM lands are adjacent to those managed by the Forest Service, and the BLM is in the initial phase of planning. A Draft Travel Management Plan is currently being developed, but the BLM does not have a proposed timeline for completion of the Draft Plan.

 

Eastern Wildlands Chapter Board Meeting
Meets the third Tuesday of each month at 6:00 p.m.
Room 201 in Alden Hall, Rocky Mountain College, Billings

Billings Area Conservation Roundtable
Meets every other Tues. at noon.
Broadway Place, 207 North Broadway, Billings

Full MWA Calendar

Contact us

Email: mwaewc[at]wildmontana.org

Local Board of Directors

• Jeff Hunnes, President
• DickWalton, Vice President
• Mamie Wilson, Secretary
• Margaret Webster, Treasurer
• Sue Duncan
• Dave Klarich
• Tim Lohrenz
• Mick Ohnstad
• Bernard Quetchenbeck
• Ryan Sparhawk
• Anna Williams
• Brad Wood