Beaverhead-Deerlodge

Straddling the Continental Divide and covering much of southwest Montana, the 3.3 million acre Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest came into existence on February 2, 1996, when the Forest Service merged the Beaverhead and the Deerlodge National Forests into one administrative unit.

President Theodore Roosevelt first proclaimed the Beaverhead and Deerlodge National Forests in two separate executive orders on July 1, 1908. In 1931, the Madison National Forest became part of the Beaverhead and Deerlodge National Forests. In 1945, the west slope of the Madison Range was transferred from the Gallatin National Forest to the Beaverhead National Forest.

The Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest is an important part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. This forest boasts nearly 1.9 million acres of Roadless lands, the most of any national forest in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. On the forest there are portions of two Wilderness Areas, the Anaconda-Pintler and the Lee Metcalf Wilderness Areas. Together these two areas total 225,147 acres.

The forest is comprised of seven districts. The Madison Ranger District is the only district that falls within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, making this area a priority for GYC.

The Beaverhead-Deerlodge contains crucial habitat connecting Greater Yellowstone with the Selway-Bitterroot Ecosystem. The Centennial, Gravelly and Snowcrest Mountain ranges serve as a linkage for wildlife such as grizzly bears, wolves, wolverine and lynx.

Elk, mule deer, bighorn sheep and upland game birds also live on the forest and offer opportunities for hunters and wildlife viewing enthusiasts. Anglers can test their skills on one of the forests many rivers including the Jefferson and Madison Rivers. The Gravelly Range is very popular with hunters and is one of the most heavily hunted areas in Montana.

Some of the recreation activities available to visitors include mountain biking, hiking, camping, fishing, hunting, horsepacking, climbing, cross country skiing and snowmobiling. The Continental Divide Trail winds through the forest along the crest of the Centennial Mountains above Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge.

The Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest is in the process of revising its Forest Plan that will direct how the forest's lands, wildlife and fisheries are managed for the next 10-15 years. At stake are the forest's remaining roadless lands—and the wildlife that inhabit these areas—that are threatened by logging, road building and off-road vehicle use.

The Forest Service released its Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) in June 2005. The DEIS looked at a range of alternatives for revising the Beaverhead-Deerlodge Forest Plan. Public comment on the Forest Plan closed on October 31, 2005.

The Forest Service is now reviewing the 9,600 public comments received and is beginning work on its Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) expected to be released in the Spring of 2007.

Greater Yellowstone Coalition continues to work with our conservation partners to ensure wilderness designation is recommended for the Snowcrests and Mt. Jefferson-two areas on the forest important for wildlife and quiet recreation.