After eight years of work, the Shoshone National Forest has released a new forest plan with few changes from the previous plan.
Winter recreation will remain roughly the same, few areas will be open for oil and gas development, and there will be no new wilderness areas. Some had asked for increased wilderness protections, but Forest Planner Carrie Christman says they didn’t want to go further.
“Currently around 60 percent of the Shoshone is already designated wilderness and another 25 percent on top of that is classified as roadless. So we feel like we have a large percentage, about 85 percent of the forest, that gives you that non-motorized backcountry experience.”
Christman says beetle killed trees are a new concern and the plan makes some adjustments to access as a precaution for public safety. The plan is available on the Shoshone National Forest Website.
