Wildlife

Make Your Voice Heard: How to Advocate for the Great Burn

Advocating for public lands, especially wilderness is not only important, it’s also a very rewarding experience. However, knowing where to start and how to ensure your voice is heard can be difficult. One of the best, most impactful ways to get involved is submitting a public comment. Public comments are crucial for developing the management of public lands,  ensuring that all perspectives are taken into account and holding the Forest Service and other agencies accountable for their actions.  

With the new Forest Plan for the Lolo National Forest currently under development, submitting a public comment is especially important, as it could dictate management decisions for the next 20-30 years. 

Your Voice Matters

In September, 2022, the Flathead National Forest released a proposed plan to significantly expand the size of the Holland Lake Lodge North of Seeley Lake, Montana, a little more than a two hour drive from the Great Burn. During the ensuing public comment period, the Forest Service received thousands of comments, almost all of which opposed the project. Two months later, Flathead NF rejected the proposed expansion.

There’s more to the Holland Lake story, but, suffice it to say, the comments worked. When it comes to advocating for public lands, almost nothing is as powerful as a public comment. It’s a good reminder as the comment period for the Lolo National Forest’s Proposed Action nears its end date on April 1st.

We Need Your Help

The Proposed Action is a draft of what will become the Lolo National Forest’s new Forest Plan, the guiding document for the National Forest and what will dictate how the Forest is managed for at least the next 15 years, but probably more—the last time there was a new Lolo Forest Plan was 1986. Every project and decision the National Forest makes for the next generation, and every animal, tree, river, and lake within its boundaries will be impacted by the new Forest Plan. 

GBCA has been heavily involved in the planning process since it began in 2022, but as Holland Lake showed, there’s no substitute for public voices. We need your help to speak up for the land and the wildlife that call it home. Large, intact landscapes like the Great Burn are becoming increasingly rare, and face numerous threats, and opportunities for quiet recreation, like the kind that can currently be found in the Great Burn ecosystem are fast disappearing. From climate change to overuse, vulnerable species and their habitats need to be protected.

Write a strong comment

Putting together a strong comment that the Forest Service will listen to can feel overwhelming, but with these tips you can ensure your voice will be heard.

Tell them what they’re doing right

There is a lot to like in the Proposed Action, and it’s important to let our land managers know when they're doing a good job. We are excited that the Proposed Action maintains the existing boundaries for the Great Burn Recommended Wilderness. We also want to show appreciation for the FS designating 21 rivers and streams as eligible for Wild and Scenic River protections. 

Let them know what needs work

Although there’s a lot of good in the plan, let the Forest Service know there are ways the draft plan can be improved. We have highlighted a couple important changes: 

  • Recommend the Ward-Eagle inventoried roadless area and Upper North Fork-Meadowcreek inventoried roadless area as Wilderness. Currently these areas are classified as non-motorized backcountry, but deserve “recommended” status for their outstanding wilderness characteristics and wildlife habitat value.

  • Prioritize wildlife habitat connectivity and corridor areas. The entire stateline area is key for large landscape connectivity, as well as more local elevational connectivity.

  • No non-conforming uses in recommended wilderness. By maintaining the no mechanized or motorized use mandate in recommended wilderness areas we can ensure these areas remain eligible for permanent protection in the future.

  • Include Fish Creek and the South Fork of Fish Creek as eligible for Wild and Scenic River Designation

Make it your own

The Forest Service will often dismiss or downgrade identical comments. The best comments come from those who include how government action affects them. Point to how wild places are important to you, or how strong conservation efforts are tied to your values. Don’t be afraid to make it yours.

,

Nez perce-clearwater forest plan falls short

,

On November 28th, the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest made public the Final Environmental Impact Statement, Record of Decision, and Draft Final Plan. Disappointingly, the Nez Perce-Clearwater Forest Plan is designating only 108,276 acres of the 151,874-acre Hoodoo roadless area as recommended wilderness, opening nearly 40,000 acres of crucial wildlife habitat to snowmobiling and mountain biking.

The plan proposes excluding two significant segments from the Great Burn recommended wilderness: a northern portion from Fish Lake extending north to Hoodoo Pass and a southern area encompassing Blacklead Mountain and Goat Lake. These areas offer some of the most valuable wildlife habitat within the entire forest. The decision to exclude these areas from recommended wilderness status was unfortunately influenced by the aim to legitimize ongoing illegal snowmobile use in an area that has been suggested for wilderness protection since 1987. Furthermore, the proposed plan includes opening trail 738 along the stateline to accommodate mountain biking.

The final draft plan also lacks specific guidelines for protecting vulnerable wildlife species such as wolverines, mountain goats, and grizzly bears.

Why is this important?

The Hoodoo Roadless Area, commonly known as the Great Burn, stands as one of the largest and wildest unprotected roadless areas in the contiguous United States. It spans the Idaho/Montana border and 2 National Forests totaling roughly 252,000 acres. Its significance on a national scale is underscored by the Forest Service, which has consistently recognized its wilderness value, advocating for a Wilderness designation since the 1980s. The area also received one of the highest possible ratings during the RARE II inventory completed in the 1970’s. 

This region provides a critical wildlife corridor connecting the Crown of the Continent and Selkirk-Cabinet Yaak ecosystems with central Idaho’s wildlands and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. It is home to native  mountain goat herds as well as many recovering and species of concern, including lynx, fisher, wolverine and  rare native trout. It is also a key corridor for the recolonization of grizzly bears in the US Fish and Wildlife  Service Bitterroot Ecosystem Recovery Area.  As it stands, the plan contains no binding wildlife standards necessary to ensure species survival.  

The Nez Perce Clearwater National Forest is in the final stages of Forest planning. The decisions made now will have lasting impact on the entire Hoodoo Roadless Area for decades to come.

Wolverine

Mountain Goats

Mountain goats along the stateline trail #738. Photo courtesy of Alex Kim

Many people feel snowmobiles do not have a lasting impact on the Forest landscape. We strongly disagree with this concept. Research has shown that subnivean snow layers can be crushed, impacting fragile plant and animal communities below.

Fish Lake is part of the area being opened to winter motorized use in the new Nez Perce-Clearwater Forest plan.

This forthcoming forest plan will dictate the management of the nearly 4 million acre Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest for the next 20-30 years. It's imperative that the entirety of the Hoodoo Roadless Area, totaling 151,874 acres in Idaho, be managed as Recommended Wilderness. 

What’s next? 

There's still an opportunity to influence the contents of this forest plan! A 60-day window is now open for submitting "objections" to the plan, allowing stakeholders to propose alterations before the Forest Supervisor's final approval. Objections are due by January 29, 2024. Although the Forest Service is technically obligated to consider objections only from individuals who participated in previous stages—such as the scoping phase in 2014 or the Draft Environmental Impact/Draft Plan phase in the winter of 2019 through the spring of 2020—there's a collective encouragement for all interested parties in this planning effort to voice objections. This collective action aims to demonstrate substantial opposition to the proposed plan to the Forest Service.

Following the objection period, the Forest Service is mandated to conduct objection resolution meetings within 90 days. Those who have submitted objections and previously provided comments will receive invitations to these meetings. This presents a crucial opportunity to directly convey concerns to the Forest Service and participate in the resolution process.

Have questions? Feel free to reach out to Hayley@greatburn.org for more information.


MCC Fellow End of Term Reflection

In 2022, GBCA hosted it’s first Montana Conservation Corps Fellow. The position was in place from May-September, and helped organize and lead many of GBCA’s volunteer stewardship trips. Here are some final reflections from a successful first season.

Hi again! I cannot believe it is already the end of September! As my Montana Conservation Corps term comes to an end, I wanted to share some of my experiences and what I have learned from my work at GBCA with you all.

Right from the start, I was welcomed with open arms onto the GBCA team. At GBCA, I worked closely alongside Hayley, who taught me so much about how to organize and coordinate stewardship projects at a nonprofit, and Rory, who co-led volunteer trips with me and shared his immeasurable knowledge about the Great Burn.

I was also able to get to know other members of the GBCA team, including Skye, Laura, Matthew, and some of our board members, particularly Bert Lindler, Elise Watts, and Daphne Herling. I learned valuable skills from these people that I will carry with me into my career as a conservationist.

As I focused on outreach in Missoula and Mineral counties, I met lots of people from western Montana communities that use the Great Burn or are involved with the management of the land in one way or another. I often tabled at farmers markets in Missoula, Frenchtown, and Alberton, where I interacted with locals who ranged from never having heard about GBCA before to those who were Great Burn regulars and long time supporters of the work that we do.

Photo by Bert Lindler!

Missoula Farmer’s Market Setup!

And through attending natural resource-oriented meetings in Missoula, Superior, and in the Great Burn, I was able to learn about how GBCA values partners and stakeholders in conversations and collaboration.

My favorite part of this job was getting out into the place we work for with our volunteer groups. The Great Burn, as anyone who has experienced it knows, is remote and stunning. And each one of our volunteer trips attracted a collection of unique and inspiring individuals. In addition to working alongside amazing volunteers, I also learned how to do and teach various types of conservation projects, such as trail brushing, campsite naturalization, and noxious weed management. I have such a heightened appreciation for the strenuous work that goes into maintaining beautiful trails and clean campsites now!

The Heart Lake basin is a popular and special place in the Burn, and I had the pleasure of going there many times to work with different teams on various projects. Coming from Pomona College, understanding and mitigating human-wildlife interactions was one of my biggest passions. At Heart Lake, I had the opportunity to experience how human use of this area often results in close-up encounters with mountain goats.

The potentially dangerous outcomes of these encounters is something GBCA, US Forest Service, and Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks take very seriously, and our implementation of the Heart Lake Ambassador program aims to reduce negative interactions and improve our understanding of how increased human activity is impacting this native herd. I loved contributing to this program as well as installing new signage, brushing the trail with a Superior-based youth crew, and conducting wildlife surveys.

Can you spot the goat in the background?

Although I am sad to be leaving GBCA, I am so grateful for my time here and how it has prepared me for my next steps. Going forward, I want to continue to advocate for wildlife habitat, landscape connectivity, human access and recreation, and social, economic, and environmental impacts of conservation policy on rural communities. In the spring I will start my Masters of Science at WSU Pullman, where I will research climate and fire resiliency in the PNW. My work at GBCA has emphasized how different dimensions of conservation work (including science, policy, and on the ground stewardship) are necessary to make the best and most informed conservation decisions that benefit human communities and the environment. I hope to stay involved with GBCA, and I look forward to seeing what we can accomplish together in the coming years!

,

Species Highlight: Native Mountain Goat

,

So what makes the Great Burn so great? Three herds of native mountain goats have given their stamp of approval. The Great Burn ecosystem provides high quality habitat for this species that faces unique challenges in the western lower 48.

Why do we care about native mountain goats at GBCA?

In Montana, mountain goats primarily live on the western side of the state in the steep, rugged terrain of the Rockies. Interestingly, the majority of mountain goats that reside in Montana are not native to the area. A 2017 Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks report indicates stark differences between the vitality of native mountain goat herds and introduced populations. Studies in Montana regions outside of Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks show not only a decline in native goat numbers but also patterns of low numbers and genetic isolation among remaining herds. Alternatively, introduced goats are prospering. New research into why native mountain goats are declining is investigating how reintroductions, predator density fluctuations, and changing guidelines in human recreation could positively affect native mountain goat vitality in the Rockies.

Where are they in the Great Burn ecosystem?

The Great Burn ecosystem supports at least three native mountain goat herds. Hikers who visit Heart Lake, one of the Great Burn’s most popular areas, are often lucky enough to see one of them! At Blacklead Mountain, a high elevation area where few other mammals reside, GBCA surveys have identified at least ten goats. In the past, Blacklead supported a larger herd, but in the last decade Idaho Fish and Game documented a significant drop in population numbers during a year of historic snowpack and increased snowmobiling. Finally, Mallard Larkins Pioneer Area visitors often see these curious animals near trails and on mountain faces.

Why is the Great Burn ecosystem an attractive habitat?
Goats rely on mountains and their unmatched climbing abilities to escape predation and to forage. Winter is this species’ most difficult season, when their habitat is limited to wind-swept mountain faces with exposed vegetation for food. During the winter, these goats are highly susceptible to motorized vehicle use, which has been documented to displace them from high quality habitat and put their survival and reproduction at risk. Limited motorized vehicles in the Hoodoo Proposed Wilderness and Mallard Larkins Proposed Wilderness help sustain an ideal wintering ground for mountain goats. As biologists continue to investigate factors that pose the greatest risks to the remaining native herds, it is necessary to preserve the Great Burn for their protection and persistence. 

How does GBCA protect our native mountain goat herds?

Great Burn visitors are lucky to have the chance to view native mountain goats. However, goats, like other wildlife, can pose danger to humans if they get habituated to an area. Goats are curious animals who are attracted to salt, and there are documented cases in other recreational areas of goats hurting people when visitors become relaxed in letting goats get up close to campsites, outhouses, picnics, and other salty areas. 

In order to keep both our visitors and goats safe, we created our Heart Lake Ambassador Program last summer. We are grateful for our first round of Heart Lake Ambassadors, who helped educate last season’s Great Burn visitors on mountain goat ecology and safety practices. This summer we are running the same program again! Help us minimize our human impact on this native goat herd by becoming an Ambassador or spreading the word about our program!