Federal Court Clears Montana Mud Creek Forest Project

The U.S. District Court for the District of Montana on June 1, 2026 upheld the Forest Service’s Mud Creek Project in the Bitterroot National Forest of southwest Montana, per a Justice Department announcement.

The project covers vegetation management across thousands of acres and will include prescribed burns, other noncommercial fuel reduction treatments, and commercial timber harvest on up to 13,700 acres. The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation and Ravalli County joined the federal government in defending the project in court.

The ruling lifts the legal hold that had blocked implementation. The project, which spans several years, can now move forward immediately from its previously stalled state.

Downstream, wildfire risk reduction measures will begin in communities adjacent to the Bitterroot National Forest. The commercial timber component will open bidding and harvest operations on the designated 13,700 acres, triggering Forest Service contracting timelines and related economic activity in Ravalli County.

State and county officials must now coordinate with the Forest Service on prescribed burn schedules and smoke management under existing interagency agreements.

This is the latest court victory for federal land-management agencies defending vegetation projects against litigation in western states. The Justice Department has secured similar rulings allowing fuel-reduction work to proceed on national forest land in recent years.