Court victory over Bush forest planning rules causes halt in Shoshone National Forest plan
The March 30 court victory settting aside Bush’s new forest planning rules, which trivialized forest plans, and excluded them from full environmental analysis, has caused a temporary halt in the progress of the Shoshone National Forest Plan in Wyoming. The Shoshone is one of America’s most prized national forests for scenery and wilderness.
Planning on the adjacent Bridger-Teton National Forest continues.
The court decision, Defenders of Wildlife, et. al. v. Johanns, which came on a summary judgment, has thrown confusion into the agency, and each forest is too some degree deciding how to procede.
One particularly significant part of the opinion, the judge wrote, “Additionally, because the 2005 Rule may significantly affect the quality of the human environment under NEPA, and because it may affect listed species and their habitat under ESA, the agency must conduct further analysis and evaluation of the impact of the 2005 Rule in accordance with those statutes.” This might provide some additional protection on the Shoshone and other forests for endangered species. However, the judge did not address the content of the new rules, only the flawed procedure by which they were promulgated.
Shoshone National Forest in the Absaroka/Beartooth Wilderness. Photo from Clay Butte Northward toward Montana on the skyline. Photo Copyright Ralph Maughan
Here is the story in the Casper Star Tribune, Ruling halts forest planning [on the Shoshone NF]. By Whitney Royster, Star-Tribune environmental reporter with wire reports.

Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University. He has been a Western Watersheds Project Board Member off and on for many years, and also its President. For many years he produced Ralph Maughan's Wolf Report. He was a founder of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. He and Jackie Johnson Maughan wrote three editions of "Hiking Idaho." He also wrote "Beyond the Tetons" and "Backpacking Wyoming's Teton and Washakie Wilderness." He created and is the administrator of The Wildlife News.
3 Responses to Court victory over Bush forest planning rules causes halt in Shoshone National Forest plan
Subscribe to Blog via Email
Join 927 other subscribersRecent Posts
- Time to Reevaluate Notion That Oregon’s Rivers Are A Faucet For Agriculture January 27, 2023
- Indian Influence On The Extinction of Bison In Southeast Idaho and Adjacent Areas January 27, 2023
- Chaparral and Wildfire January 25, 2023
- Wildfire–Road Removal A More Effective Wildfire Strategy January 25, 2023
- More wildfire misinformation from UC Davis January 21, 2023
Recent Comments
- Deane Rimerman on Wildfire–Road Removal A More Effective Wildfire Strategy
- Ida Lupine on Wildfire–Road Removal A More Effective Wildfire Strategy
- Maximilian S Werner on Indian Influence On The Extinction of Bison In Southeast Idaho and Adjacent Areas
- Jeff Hoffman on Time to Reevaluate Notion That Oregon’s Rivers Are A Faucet For Agriculture
- Jeff Hoffman on Indian Influence On The Extinction of Bison In Southeast Idaho and Adjacent Areas
- Jeff Hoffman on Wildfire–Road Removal A More Effective Wildfire Strategy
- Ida Lupine on Wildfire–Road Removal A More Effective Wildfire Strategy
- Deane Rimerman on Wildfire–Road Removal A More Effective Wildfire Strategy
- Jeff Hoffman on Wildfire–Road Removal A More Effective Wildfire Strategy
- Ralph Maughan on Time to Assess Sec of Interior Deb Haaland
- Ida Lupine on Conservation Easement May Kill Alaska’s Proposed Pebble Mine
- Rambling Dave on More wildfire misinformation from UC Davis
- Ralph Maughan on Blog comment rules
- Chris Zinda on More wildfire misinformation from UC Davis
- Jeff Hoffman on Livestock Impacts To Desert Regions
That is some spectacular country. I really enjoy the Beartooths.
Same probably holds true for the Bridger Teton NF. We were making good progress on holding back the travel plan and the motor heads. Hope it doesn’t start again from square one…?!
Good luck, Bob!
I hope folks will help those who live in the Jackson, Kelly, Wilson, Hoback areas hold back the tidal wave of motorized contraptions and get involved in the Bridger-Teton Forest Plan.