The Issue: Proposed Biathlon

The Helena National Forest is considering a proposal by the Montana Army National Guard (MANG) to construct a Biathlon Training Facility on MacDonald Pass, a critical wildlife corridor located along the Continental Divide near Helena, Montana.

The MANG has released a "Finding of No Significant Impact" document for public comment. Helena National Forest Supervisor Kevin Riordan has indicated that he wants to see the public's response to this document before he makes his own decision about authorizing the biathlon on public lands.

The Area

MacDonald Pass is a one mile wide wildlife movement corridor located within the Helena National Forest between Helena and Elliston, Montana. According to multiple models and analyses, including data from the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), this is the best remaining linkage for animals migrating between their “core” habitat areas north and south of the pass. The entire area is documented as lynx habitat, and the USFWS Lynx Conservation Agreement recognizes MacDonald Pass as a lynx movement corridor.

The Project Impacts

Impacts of the proposed biathlon facility would include:

Direct loss of 34 acres of habitat
A new access road through the forest
Construction of a 50 car parking lot, five buildings (totaling 4,700 square feet), a loudspeaker system, and artificial lighting
Potential detriment to wetlands
Potential increase in soil erosion
Potential increase in human activity
Potential disruption of wildlife connectivity through the pass
Predicted displacement of skiers and hunters using the area

Importance to Wildlife

GIS analysis and wildlife tracking data from the last two winters indicates the proposed site for the biathlon facility sits in the heart of an important wildlife corridor.
Wildlife tracking data indicates the area is used by lynx, wolverine, gray wolf, pine marten, moose, elk, and eleven other species (see maps on right).
Historical trapping and telemetry data from Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks indicates this area is very important for elk, lynx, and wolverine.
The corridor is a narrow area connecting larger, more intact sections of forest to the north and south. The small swath of public land will play an even more important wildlife corridor role in the future as private land is developed in and around the MacDonald Pass area.
Regionally, this area links the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem in the north with the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem to the south and Salmon-Selway Ecosystem to the southwest.

Click on the maps on the right to see results of the wildlife tracking studies (tracking conducted by Wild Things Unlimited).

Social Importance

Existing MacDonald Pass ski trails have provided quiet family skiing opportunites for over 30 years
Initial public comment indicated citizens were against the biathlon by a margin of 2:1
An Environment Assessment (EA) prepared by a consultant for the Army National Guard cites acoustic studies predicting that gunfire from the target range will be heard from all of the existing trails
The EA predicts displacement of current skiers to other areas
The EA states that increased human presence due to biathlon competitions and training may cause wildlife avoidance of the area impacting local hunters who value the area for its hunting opportunities

Aerial view of MacDonald Pass