Montana group wins battle with US Forest Service

US Forest Service will have to release information without charge on the damage caused by off-road vehicles and unmaintained roads on 84 national forests around the West.

A conservation group has won a two year battle with the U.S. Forest Service. The win by the Montana conservation group Wildland CPR means that the USFS will have to release information without charge on the damage caused by off-road vehicles and un maintained roads on national forests around the West.

Officials with the U.S. Forest Service had refused to waive fees for the information so the group sued under the Freedom of Information Act.

Attorney David Bahr of the Western Environmental Law center says the information is expected to show that the numbers and damage caused by unauthorized roads and off-road vehicles is growing on 84 national forests around the west.

It will be used to balance U.S. Forest Service claims as national forests develop new policies for dealing with off-road vehicles.

Meanwhile members of the U.S. House are holding a Thursday hearing about designating some USFS and public lands as "wilderness", wild and scenic rivers, wildland recovery areas and biological connecting corridors".