The Bitterroot National Forest Tuesday re-opened the objection period for mountain bikes in wilderness study areas, following a court order to do so.
A handful of backcountry mountain bike, snowmobile and off-roading advocate groups filed a lawsuit challenging the Bitterroot Travel Plan.
The final plan closed roughly 62 miles of trails to mountain bikes in the Sapphire and Blue Joint Wilderness Study Areas that weren’t part of the initial draft plan, and therefore were not subject to public comment. The Forest’s 2016 travel plan remains in place.
The Bitterroot Forest Supervisor can call for additional analysis to modify the final travel plan or reaffirm the closure after reviewing the objections.
The deadline to submit an objection is November 19.