Goats tangle study on heli-skiing
June 6, 2004
JACKSON (AP) -- Idaho wildlife officials and conservationists have asked that a public comment period be reopened on a proposal to allow more heli-skiing in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in order to iron out differences over mountain goat habitat.
R.J. Saban, Idaho Fish and Game regional supervisor, maintains that the Forest Service has changed its stance on protecting mountain goat habitat in the national forest on the Idaho side of the border.
In a Forest Service draft environmental study, released in December, forest officials proposed shrinking a heli-skiing company's permit boundaries to protect crucial winter ranges for bighorn sheep, moose, elk, deer and mountain goats.
In particular, the Forest Service proposed removing from the heli-ski permit crucial goat range identified by Idaho Fish and Game in the Upper Palisades Lake area in Idaho.
"The (Idaho) Department has indicated that this goat herd has suffered a crash in recent years and the area needs to be protected at the current time," the Forest Service's draft study stated.
However, in a subsequent meeting, forest officials told Idaho Fish and Game that the proposal to close crucial goat winter range in the Upper Palisades Lake area was an error, according to Saban's letter to Bridger-Teton District Ranger Nancy Hall.
"In our meeting of May 7, you confirmed to me that the very mitigation for mountain goats that (Idaho Fish and Game) sought was mistakenly left in the draft, and that you intend to render a decision in the absence of that mitigation point," Saban wrote.
As a consequence, readers of the document assumed protection for goats was on track, when in fact it was not.
Saban stated that his department does not support heli-skiing from Palisades Peak south during the winter because it is "critical mountain goat habitat." The agency identified three other landing sites that it would support in Idaho that would not disturb mountain goats.
The mountain goat population in and near the Palisades Wilderness area has dropped to 42 goats in 2002, down from a high of 271 in 1996, according to the Idaho agency.
Saban said that his agency wants to submit new comments based on the Forest Service's change.
The Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance and Greater Yellowstone Coalition are joining the Idaho agency in requesting the new 45-day comment period.
Fred Smith, conservation alliance program associate, said that all alternatives released to the public for consideration included protections for mountain goats that are now being rescinded without public comment.
June 6, 2004
JACKSON (AP) -- Idaho wildlife officials and conservationists have asked that a public comment period be reopened on a proposal to allow more heli-skiing in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in order to iron out differences over mountain goat habitat.
R.J. Saban, Idaho Fish and Game regional supervisor, maintains that the Forest Service has changed its stance on protecting mountain goat habitat in the national forest on the Idaho side of the border.
In a Forest Service draft environmental study, released in December, forest officials proposed shrinking a heli-skiing company's permit boundaries to protect crucial winter ranges for bighorn sheep, moose, elk, deer and mountain goats.
In particular, the Forest Service proposed removing from the heli-ski permit crucial goat range identified by Idaho Fish and Game in the Upper Palisades Lake area in Idaho.
"The (Idaho) Department has indicated that this goat herd has suffered a crash in recent years and the area needs to be protected at the current time," the Forest Service's draft study stated.
However, in a subsequent meeting, forest officials told Idaho Fish and Game that the proposal to close crucial goat winter range in the Upper Palisades Lake area was an error, according to Saban's letter to Bridger-Teton District Ranger Nancy Hall.
"In our meeting of May 7, you confirmed to me that the very mitigation for mountain goats that (Idaho Fish and Game) sought was mistakenly left in the draft, and that you intend to render a decision in the absence of that mitigation point," Saban wrote.
As a consequence, readers of the document assumed protection for goats was on track, when in fact it was not.
Saban stated that his department does not support heli-skiing from Palisades Peak south during the winter because it is "critical mountain goat habitat." The agency identified three other landing sites that it would support in Idaho that would not disturb mountain goats.
The mountain goat population in and near the Palisades Wilderness area has dropped to 42 goats in 2002, down from a high of 271 in 1996, according to the Idaho agency.
Saban said that his agency wants to submit new comments based on the Forest Service's change.
The Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance and Greater Yellowstone Coalition are joining the Idaho agency in requesting the new 45-day comment period.
Fred Smith, conservation alliance program associate, said that all alternatives released to the public for consideration included protections for mountain goats that are now being rescinded without public comment.
