Nez Perce-clearwater national forest

The Nez Perce - Clearwater National Forest manages the majority of the Idaho portion of GBCA’s mission area. This includes 12 roadless areas and 179,600 acres of the Proposed Wilderness (Hoodoo and Mallard Larkins). The Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest is currently in the final stages of updating its forest management plan.

What’s a Forest Plan?

A Forest Plan is a land management plan that sets the management direction and priorities for an entire Forest and is the foundation for land use and resource development on a forest-wide scale. Forest Plan’s do not direct site specific or local projects, such as how to manage an individual trail, rather they set the parameters for how projects within a Forest are managed for the entirety of the time the Forest Plan is in effect. National Forests are directed to revise their plans every 15 years, however the last time the Nez Perce - Clearwater released a new plan was in 1987, meaning Forest Plans can have significant impact for decades.

Where we are in the process

The Nez Perce-Clearwater is in the final stages of their planning process. The draft Record of Decision (ROD) and Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) were released November 29th, 2023. Objections to these documents closed January 29th, 2024, and the Regional Forester held objection resolution meetings in May of 2024. The objection response was published in September 2024. We expect the Final ROD to be signed in early 2025 and the Forest will implement the new plan, basing all management decisions off of the new plan.

Why you should get involved

The proposed plan guts protections for one of the most wild and untrammeled areas in the Northern Bitterroot Mountains. It removes Recommended Wilderness protections from the area north of Fish Lake, as well as the area around Goat Lake and Blacklead Mountain (See map below). This area is key habitat for wolverine, mountain goat, and an expanding grizzly population.