©ParksCanada

A new lawsuit against the U.S. Forest Service starts with a straightforward claim: A proposed project to help whitebark pine trees near Yellowstone National Park will actually hurt them. But as the complaint unspools, nearly every major controversy involving the Forest Service comes up… The lawsuit pits the Gallatin Wildlife Association, Alliance for the Wild Rockies and Native Ecosystems Council against Gardiner District Ranger Clint Kolarich and the Custer Gallatin National Forest. On March 4, the plaintiffs sent a 60-day notice of intent to sue unless the Forest Service accepts their objections. The Cooke City Fuels and Forest Health Project would strengthen Cooke City and Silver Gate against wildfire, according to its Finding Of No Significant Impact, or FONSI notice. …Forest Service project manager Abigail Hauch listed multiple justifications in the FONSI for the activity, including… “improving the health and condition of the forest ecosystem, including whitebark pine.”