Travel Planning: Custer National Forest, Beartooth District

Summary: The Travel Plan will decide if quiet trails and remote, secluded areas 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.

Pryors Advocates on TV! from roxythedog on Vimeo.

The Forest Service has taken many of the recommendations of the Montana Wilderness Association and the Pryors Coalition and incorporated them into their Draft 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 was not the Forest Service’s “preferred alternative” in the draft plan. Their preference, if adopted as a final plan, 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.

History of the Travel Plan
The Forest Service received more than 5,000 comments on its Draft Travel Management Plan for the Custer Forest in 2004. In early 2007 travel planning for the Beartooth Ranger District of the Custer National Forest began. Hoping that discussion among various groups would provide the possibility to achieve some level of common ground and perhaps a compromise agreement, the Forest Service held seven public collaboration meetings in Billings, with the intent to minimize conflict between diverse users. This did not occur.

Motorized groups attended the meetings in full force, seeking access to many key areas identified in MWA’s Eastern Wildlands Chapter’s “Hiking and Riding Areas” recommendations for the Pryors. In addition to motorized users outnumbering wilderness advocates at the meetings, a major concern for the Eastern Wildlands Chapter is that the Forest Service has no big picture vision to effectively guide the planning process for the Pryor Mountains.

The Montana Wilderness Association State Council lent its support on behalf of wildlands in the Beartooth Ranger District by holding their March meeting in Billings so that members could participate in a travel plan meeting.

MWA has requested that the Custer National Forest establish non-motorized “Hiking and Riding Areas” in the Pryor Mountains, as well as adjacent to the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness. Seasonal restrictions for motorized traffic are necessary during months with the highest risk of damage.

BLM lands, too: The Bureau of Land Management is also working on a Travel Plan for its lands in the Pryors, which contain three Wilderness Study Areas. The BLM has completed most of the travel inventory, and a Draft Travel Management Plan may be released in 2007.

MWA supports motor-free Wilderness Study Areas in BLM lands, as well as two non-motorized sections adjacent to the Custer National Forest. The BLM also needs to replace broken fence on the wild horse range.