Groups threaten lawsuit over Bitterroot Front logging project

MISSOULA, Mont. — Conservation groups plan to sue federal agencies unless consultation on the Bitterroot Front Project is restarted within 60 days.

The project covers 138,026 acres in the Bitterroot National Forest and allows logging, burning and road work tied to forest management.

A notice from the Center for Biological Diversity said the groups sent the letter to the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. They argued the agencies violated the Endangered Species Act in their review of impacts on grizzly bears, bull trout, wolverine and Canada lynx.

The groups said the project also allows more than 2 miles of new permanent roads and more than 27 miles of new temporary roads. They said the agencies did not clearly identify where some roads and project work would happen or when work would take place during the project's more than 20-year timeline.

The letter pointed to a June 9, 2026 court ruling that rejected the Bitterroot National Forest's use of a one-acre patch size for grizzly bear secure habitat. The groups said the same approach was used again for the Bitterroot Front Project.

They also said road density and illegal motorized use were not fully considered in the grizzly bear review. The notice cited a July 2024 report from Friends of the Bitterroot that described repeated closure violations on Bitterroot National Forest roads and trails.

The groups said federal agencies cannot move ahead with irreversible commitments of resources while consultation problems remain. They argued that timber sales and ground-disturbing work should not continue while consultation is revisited.

The letter said the groups will seek declaratory and injunctive relief if the issues are not fixed within 60 days.

Bitterroot Front Logging Project Notice: