Montana judge: Weed-spraying plan could hurt bears

A federal judge in Montana has ruled that a U.S. Forest Service plan to spray herbicide from helicopters over the Kootenai National Forest does not adequately protect dozens of grizzly bears. U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy says the agency's plan to allow multiple low-altitude flights goes against its own guidelines that say such frequency and duration would likely have an adverse effect of the bears. The Alliance for the Wild Rockies sued the Forest Service over the weed-spraying plan, saying it would drive bears from their habitat and could be harmful to people in the Libby area. Molloy's March 30 ruling allows the Forest Service to go ahead with other parts of the program, including ground application of the herbicides. AP