Wildlands CPR's Blog

By Bethanie Walder - February 2, 2010   The President’s budget was just released, and with it came increased attention to restoration within the Forest Service, unfortunately that was coupled with what appears to be a decrease in focus on the Legacy Roads and Trails Remediation Initiative.   After a cursory view, it also seems that the increased attention on restoration continues a long-running trend within the Forest Service of creating new euphemisms for the old habit of logging.

By Adam Rissien - February 2, 2010    The Ravalli Republic ran a story about how a four wheeler drove around gates closing the Forest Service roads to motor vehicles in the Como Lake area on the Bitterroot National Forest.

By Adam Rissien - January 26, 2010    A few days ago I blogged about our friends at ORV Watch Kern Co. who sent us a couple of You Tube videos documenting illegal motorcycle use on the Pacific Crest Trail. Well it seems that the perpetrators didn't like being caught in the act so they complained to You Tube management about their images appearing online and changes had to be made "to protect THEM."

By Bethanie Walder - January 20, 2010    Maybe it’s because I live in Montana and the small town of Libby has been declared a federal superfund site due to asbestos contamination from a nearby vermiculite mine.  With extremely disturbing stories about the Libby, MT asbestos situation a mainstay of state and even national news for practically a decade, Montanans tend to take asbestos seriously.  And one of the prime questions about Libby relates to responsibility…  when did the W.R.

By Adam Rissien - January 15, 2010    Sentencing happened yesterday for a Livingston, MT man who illegally created an off-road vehicle route back in 2006: see Livingston man admits making illegal trail in forest. Francis Leroy McLain ,60, originally was indicted on a felony and faced a maximum one year in prison and $100,000 fine. After the ususal plea-bargaining his sentence was reduced to five months in federal prison, a $2,000 fine and $25,000 in restitution for damage.

By Greg Peters - January 13, 2010   

By cathy - January 6, 2010    The Road RIPorter 14.4 Winter Solstice issue is available online now! 

By Sarah Peters - December 23, 2009    Today Judge Molloy signed a settlement agreement between Wildlands CPR, Friends of the Bitterroot, and the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest that removes authorization for snowmobile grooming in the northern half of the West Pioneers Wilderness Study Area for the 2009-2010 season, and terminates the authorization entirely after the present season. 

By Bethanie Walder - December 22, 2009    I was intrigued and pleased to see an article in the Spokane, WA Spokesman-Review the other day highlighting potential snowmobile closures as a result of illegal activity.  Since beginning to research off-road vehicle enforcement issues nearly 5 years ago, Wildlands CPR is always on the lookout for off-road vehicle enforcement changes that impose real consequences for bad behavior.  In our Six Strategies for Success Enforcement Report, f

By Bethanie Walder - December 21, 2009    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Dec. 21, 2009 Future gets brighter for state's aging national forest roads OLYMPIA - Congress and the Obama administration are responding with on-the-ground results in response to appeals by a coalition of conservation groups and the state Departments of Ecology and Fish & Wildlife. Federal action is now occurring to repair and reclaim crumbling national forest roads in Washington state that have been harming endangered salmon and clean water.