Forest Service begins opening trails to vehicles

A Lewis and Clark National Forest official said Monday the forest has begun opening gates and modifying travel signs on 140 miles of roads and trails in the Little Belt Mountains that once again are open to travel by motorcycle and four-wheelers. A 2007 forest travel plan had banned motorized travel on the trails, leaving access to only hikers and skiers. The 140 miles is a portion of the roads that were closed by the Forest Service in a 2007 travel plan. The plan remains in force, except for the 140 miles. On July 2, U.S. District Judge Sam Haddon, overseeing a legal battle between motorized users and the U.S. Forest Service over the plan, ordered that the 140 miles be opened again. The Forest Service had closed the areas to protect habitat and wildlife, but Haddon said, in effect, that the agency went too far and also made some legal errors in crafting the plan. "We're encouraged this is going forward," said John Borgreen of the Russell Country Sportsmen. Russell Country Sportsmen is one of the groups that sued over the reduction in motorized access...more