Activists sue Forest Service over snowmobile decision

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Dec 16, 2005 | by Wendy Leonard

Environmentalists have sued the Forest Service in federal court alleging that a decision to allow snowmobiles back into part of the Wasatch-Cache National Forest was made without proper public input and should be stopped.

A coalition of four environmental protection groups claim in the lawsuit filed Thursday that Wasatch-Cache supervisor Tom Tidwell, forest supervisor Faye Krueger and Logan District Ranger Robert Cruz failed to "adhere to requirements for public participation" when they decided to adopt a proposal to re-open portions of the Cache- Box Elder Management Area to winter motorized use.

Wasatch-Cache National Forest officials closed those areas to snowmobiles in March 2003, leaving 42 percent -- nearly 540,000 acres -- open to motorized use and only 1 percent closed.

Non-motorized winter recreation has always been allowed in the area, but conflicts have arisen between between groups who ski and snowmobile groups.

The problem, according to the suit, is the dispute was resolved without issuing public notices of meetings and without public comment.

The decision, according to Bryan Dixon, conservation chairman for the Bridgerland Audubon Society, "cut protection to non-motorized users" and gave up 4,800 acres more to motorized users. "The Forest Service caved to political pressure. They acted illegally and made an acceptance behind closed doors. We can't have that happening."

The decision has renewed the dispute as well as damaged the environment, the coalition claims.

"We're not trying to end snowmobiling," Dixon said. "We're just trying to find a small area of land with diverse terrain, that is accessible by foot, close to the roads so families can use it, relatively safe from avalanche danger and keep it available for that kind of use."

The suit asks the court to impose a temporary injunction on the implementation of the new plan until their concerns can be heard. Among those, the groups claim the plan violates the National Environmental Policy Act.

The Forest Service is expected to file a response to the suit in the coming week.

A similar lawsuit was filed in Washington, D.C., in 2004, against the National Park Service. It cited in particular decisions to allow snowmobiles in Yellowstone National Park. Since then, limits have been set on the recreation vehicles can be on the property.

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