Status
Y2U, along with Alliance for the Wild Rockies and Wildlands Defense, submitted comments to the Caribou-Targhee National Forest in response to the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) with regard to a proposed project to build an ATV route between Morgan Meadows and the deserted historic mining town of Caribou City in the Caribou Range. The area is part of the regionally significant wildlife corridor that spans from the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem to the Southern Rockies, and motorized use on the proposed route would further displace wildlife in an area that is already overrun with OHVs/ATVs. In February of 2018, Dr. John Carter, Y2U staff ecologist and Alliance for the Wild Rockies filed an Objection to the Finding of No Significant Impact released in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and Record of Decision (ROD) for this project. Unfortunately, Y2U was unable to secure legal representation to further challenge this project and force the Forest Service to acknowledge and address the impact of this project and the myriad of other OHV/ATV trails in the Corridor.
Work Plan
- Y2U will monitor the impacts of the new trail on wildlife and habitat in the area.
- Y2U will continue placing pressure on the Forest Service to analyze the impact of the continued exponential growth of OHV/ATV use in our National Forests.
Expected Outcome
OHV/ATV use impacts wildlife and habitat and the Forest Service must consider these impacts when proposing new trails in the already heavily fragmented habitat of our National Forests.