Recreation Groups Seek To Join Caribou Lawsuit

SPOKANE, WA (Sept. 27, 2005) -- Today, a coalition of recreational groups filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit challenging ongoing snowmobile access to the Selkirk Mountains in northern Idaho. Among the groups seeking to become parties in the case are the Idaho State Snowmobile Association (ISSA), the BlueRibbon Coalition (BRC), American Council of Snowmobile Associations (ACSA), Priest Lake Chamber of Commerce, and the Sandpoint and Priest Lake, Idaho snowmobile clubs.

The lawsuit was originally filed against the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and claims the agencies have failed to comply with the Endangered Species Act as it affects management of woodland caribou in the area.

Sandra Mitchell, Public Lands Director for ISSA, said; "Our members have been unfairly targeted by anti-recreation groups using lawsuits. We are committed to participation in, and defense of, sound management of public lands"

"We intend to vigorously defend responsible shared use of our treasured public lands, and that certainly includes snowmobiling in the prime destinations of the Priest Lake area," added Christine Jourdain, Executive Director for ACSA.

In addition to denying the claims of the original lawsuit, the Recreational Groups include a cross-claim alleging the Forest Service has unjustifiably erred on the side of closing too much ground to winter recreation. According to the cross-claim, there are complex factors influencing the effect, if any, of snowmobile access on wintering caribou, and the agencies have failed to sufficiently analyze these issues in the project area.

Brian Hawthorne, Public Lands Director for BRC, states "Over 205,000 acres of the existing caribou recovery area are already closed to snowmobile access. Significant portions of these closures were adopted without public input or formal agency planning. Hopefully our efforts in this will motivate the Forest Service to thoroughly and expeditiously generate a travel management decision that better balances caribou protection and reasonable public access."

According to the papers filed by the Recreational Groups, their request to intervene will be considered by the Court in a hearing scheduled for November 4, 2005.


The BlueRibbon Coalition is a national recreation group that champions responsible use of public and private lands, and encourages individual environmental stewardship. It represents over 10,000 individual members and 1,200 organization and business members, for a combined total of over 600,000 recreationists nationwide.
1-800-258-3742. http://www.sharetrails.org


The Idaho State Snowmobile Association is a non-profit Idaho corporation consisting of 36 snowmobile clubs, individuals and businesses throughout Idaho. For more information about ISSA see: http://www.idahosnowbiz.com/


The American Council of Snowmobile Associations represents the 25 state snowmobile associations across the United States. Learn more about ACSA at http://www.snowmobilers.org