Our goal is to ensure that management of public lands is predicated on good science and preserves the ecological health of the landscape, wildlife and resources.
We are working to…
- Insure that motorized vehicle use patterns and the Forest Service roads network do not harm wildlife and fish, water quality, or scenic and wilderness values.
- Avoid loss of roadless areas on public lands, and maintain opportunities for future wilderness designation of these lands.
- Actively engage and respond to significant threats or challenges on public lands as needed.
Areas of Special Concern
Off-Road Vehicles
Gallatin National Forest Travel Management Plan - The Forest Service is in the process of revising its Travel Management Plan, which dictates the types of recreation (motorized, non-motorized, etc.) allowed on trails throughout the forest. PCEC hosted several meetings to engage our membership in the comment process and is currently awaiting the release of the preferred plan and list of alternative plans. We will promote the plan that best preserves our forest resources and the unparalleled non-motorized recreational opportunities and wilderness experiences the Gallatin National Forest has to offer.
PCEC successfully sued the Gallatin National Forest and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for their failure to comply with a 1995 order governing off-road access by motorized vehicles (ATV’s, snowmobiles) in core grizzly bear habitat. A District Judge ordered the agencies to begin formal consultation in order to determine whether the machines are affecting grizzly behavior. In the interim, Gallatin National Forest must close ORV trails in core grizzly bear habitat and limit user-created trails throughout the grizzly bear recovery zone so as not to exceed motorized access-route density requirements.
Logging
PCEC engages in ongoing reviews of timber sales in our region, which has recently been burdened with a number of objectionable sales, along with their attendant potential for wildlife disruption, erosion, and sedimentation as a result of the Gallatin II Land Exchange.
PCEC is also working to ensure that trades involving public land ~ whether Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management or state lands ~ are in the best interest of area residents and don’t jeopardize public access, wildlife habitat or key watersheds..
Windmill Timber Sale Proposal - In an effort to mitigate further damage to an area already hard-hit by a legacy of historical logging activities, PCEC this past November appealed the proposed timber sale in the Mill Creek drainage south of Livingston. We are currently awaiting the outcome of our appeal to determine how best to proceed with our efforts to protect this popular recreation area from additional harm.
Mining
Whether it is a large-scale gold mine or a small suction dredge along the Yellowstone River, the possibility of mining in Park County remains. The Park County Environmental Council is actively involved in monitoring new mining proposals, such as the proposal to use a suction dredge along the upper Yellowstone River, or the plans to mine Mill Creek, Emigrant Gulch and in the Cooke City area.
The Park County Environmental Council is working to develop a sustainable economy based on the wise use of our natural resources. PCEC believes the local economy will be better served if it can avoid the boom-and-bust cycles that have been characteristic of Montana’s economic history.