WildEarth Guardians v. Montana Snowmobile Ass'n

WildEarth Guardians, Montanans for Quiet Recreation, Inc., and Friends of the Bitterroot, Inc. (collectively,' “Wild-Earth”), challenge the United States Forest Service’s decision to designate over two million acres of public land in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest (“Forest”) for use by winter motorized vehicles, principally snowmobiles. Wild-Earth alleges that the Forest Service’s review of the environmental impacts of snowmobiles under the National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”) 1 was inadequate in several material respects. Wild-Earth also alleges that the Forest Service failed to comply with the minimization requirements . of Executive Order 11644. We affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand for further proceedings.

I.

At 3.85 million-acres, the Forest is the largest national forest in the state of Montana. The island mountain ranges within the Forest provide a variety of habitats spanning from cold desert to alpine peaks. Over 300 terrestrial land species live in the Forest, including grizzly bears, wolves, wolverines, lynx, and a broad variety of “big game” species, such as mule deer, white-tailed deer, black bear, moose, elk, bighorn sheep,…