Friends of the Bitterroot

08/31/2026

Rescinding the roadless rule will be devastating for wildlife, ecosystems, and watersheds.

Experts write, The fact that the Forest Service is preparing to rescind the Roadless Rule without a single public meeting tells you that they don’t care what the public thinks.

08/28/2026

Recently a community stopped exploration drilling for a rare earth element. There is hope if we all work together.

At the sacred prairie of Pe’ Sla in South Dakota, Indigenous and environmental groups banded together to halt drilling

08/28/2026

Watch for talking points and instructions on how to comment on the draft FEIS on rescinding the roadless rule. The preferred alternative would allow motorized vehicles to travel off trail. Sheep Creek talking points and instructions will also come your way.

Last week, US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brook L. Rollins moved forward on the agency’s promise to revoke the 2001 Roadless Rule, opening

08/25/2026

The current administrations attack on wildlife and wild places in a nutshell.
https://dailymontanan.com/2026/08/25/the-five-horsemen-of-the-apocalypse/

08/25/2026

The industries driving the West’s fire crisis are selling logging and livestock grazing as the cure, and taxpayers, wildlife and the land are paying the price.

08/23/2026

It's just common sense to carry bear spray in Western Montana.

A group of nineteen organizations and numerous individuals have submitted a petition for rule making to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks seeking to add a requirement that hunters and trappers carry bear spray with them when in grizzly habitat.

08/23/2026

"Public lands grazing is overseen by a nearly century-old system that heavily subsidizes some of the wealthiest Americans while doing little to address its harms to the environment"
https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/08/22/major-overhaul-of-public-lands-grazing-regulations-looks-to-cut-out-public-involvement/

08/23/2026

For the good of forest ecosystems and the communities nearby, Roadless Areas must gain more protections not less.

The Trump administration wants you to believe repealing the 2001 Roadless Rule is about wildfire safety and local control. Its own environmental review says otherwise.

08/23/2026

Cutting down a tree and helicoptering it to a museum is NOT a celebration of forest preservation. It is a violation of Wilderness and common sense.

"The U.S. Forest Service has approved a tree-cutting project in the Washakie Wilderness in Wyoming behind closed doors. Does it promote a wilderness ethic? Certainly not. Will it violate the Wilderness Act? Most likely. Will the public know the full details about this project before it is complete? Unlikely. Should the Forest Service still hear from you on this? YES, ABSOLUTELY.

There are two parts to this story. The first is the utter absurdity of the project itself. The second is how the Forest Service cut the public out of any notice or engagement. You should be furious at both—I am."

Tap below to read this incredible story from Wilderness Watch's Katie Bilodeau and also see what actions you can take to defend the Washakie Wilderness from this very misguided project.

>>> https://wildernesswatch.substack.com/p/if-a-tree-falls-in-the-wilderness

08/19/2026

The comment period for the Sheep Creek Mine Exploration plan is open until September 13th.
It is time to look at this "exploration" mining operation that would extract 3000 tons of sample rock and many times more of that of waste rock. Please check out our website and send in comments. Have your friends do the same, even those who are out of town but have visited. This is public land, all can comment. We must show huge public opposition.
Visit our website for more info!

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