Case Summary Citation
2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22211 (D. Mont. Mar. 10 , 2010)
Abstract
In Russell Country Sportsmen v. U.S. Forest Service, the District Court for the District of Montana held that the Forest Service exceeded its authority under the Montana Wilderness Study Act (MWSA) and violated National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) when it limited motorized access within the Little Belt, Castle, and North Half of the Crazy Mountains. The court held that because the MWSA requires maintenance of wilderness character that existed in 1977, the Forest Service violated the MWSA when it limited motorized access to a level below what was thought to have existed in 1977. Additionally, the Forest Service violated NEPA when it constructed a final alternative that was not identical to any of the draft alternatives.