Action Alert: Bear Palmer Forest Health (Logging) Project
Bear Palmer Proposed Action and Roadless Area, April 2026
You may have heard that a significant new federal land management and logging proposal is moving forward in the Gardiner and Jardine areas. The Bear Palmer Forest Health Project covers over 4,400 acres in the Gardiner Ranger District, and PCEC is actively working to understand it — and to make sure our community's voice is heard before the May 11th public comment deadline.
We want to be transparent: this is the first time we’ve seen a Forest Service project of this kind. The project has been approved as an "emergency action" under the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which means there is no official objection, or administrative review process.
There will be a public meeting on April 30th hosted by the Forest Service. This is the only formal public meeting opportunity for this entire project. Your presence, the discussions you are having with your community, and your comments submitted by May 11th matter more than ever.
PUBLIC MEETING — PLEASE JOIN US
When: Thursday, April 30th, 6–8 PM
Where: Yellowstone Forever, 308 West Park Street, Gardiner
Hosted by: USDA Forest Service, Gardiner Ranger District
Come hear directly from the Forest Service, get your questions answered and help us shape the Forest Service’s plans. Your informed feedback is the best tool we have to ensure this project genuinely restores and serves our home and forests.
WHAT IS PCEC DOING
We are looking carefully at potential procedural concerns, the scientific basis for treatments, and impacts on local wildlife (especially those listed under the Endangered Species Act), riparian areas, and infrastructure. This evaluation also encompasses the quality of life for residents and wild critters in Gardiner, Jardine, and Yellowstone’s Northern Gateway.
We are also looking at what the proposal does well. Are there ways that we can build on this fulfilling the project aims — including riparian and aspen treatments, prescribed burning, whitebark pine considerations, noxious weed treatment, and other elements worth supporting?
NEXT STEPS
We have a narrow window — about 11 days after the meeting — to submit our collective feedback.
If you can’t make it in person, we will share what we learn from the April 30th meeting and provide guidance to help you submit informed, effective comments before the May 11th deadline. Keep reading to learn a bit more about what is being proposed and what you can do!
Thank you for your commitment to the land, wildlife, and community that make this place so extraordinary.
Note: If you have specific questions about the technical details of the "Preliminary Effects" process or wish to coordinate on a joint comment, please feel free to reach out.
Cross country skiing in Bear Creek near Jardine
WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED?
The Bear Palmer project is described as a forest health and wildfire risk reduction effort. Under the current proposal:
2,100 acres are poised for commercial treatment (logging)
820 acres would be clearcut.
800 acres would be commercially thinned.
500 acres would have groups of trees removed to create forest openings.
2,275 acres non-commercial
565 acres of small, non-commercial trees would be cut (thinning).
1,440 acres would be hand-thinned.
260 acres would receive prescribed fire treatments.
The Forest Service recently released a Preliminary Effects Document and is preparing an expedited Environmental Assessment, with a final decision estimated in October 2026. Originally introduced as a smaller Categorical Exclusion (<3,000 acres) at the January 14th public meeting, the project has since been reclassified under emergency action authority — a process that compresses the timeline for public engagement significantly but also increases the variety of “treatments” proposed.
It is worth understanding the broader context: in April 2025, USDA Secretary Rollins issued a Secretarial Memo declaring an "Emergency Situation Determination" across more than 112 million acres of National Forest System land nationwide, directing the Forest Service to increase timber outputs and remove standard environmental review processes — the same national policy framework under which Bear Palmer is now moving forward. This raises important questions our community deserves answers to: Is this project primarily about forest health and fire risk, or is the commercial logging component being advanced under emergency authority in ways that would not otherwise pass traditional review? We intend to ask.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED NOW
Public comment deadline: May 11, 2026, at 11:59:59 PM
(Note: There has been some conflicting information circulating — we have confirmed May 11th as the official deadline posted on the Forest Service website.)
Attend the meeting: April 30th, 6–8 PM, Yellowstone Forever, 308 W Park St, Gardiner
View project details: Bear Palmer Forest Health Project Site [LINK]
Download the document: Find the Preliminary Effects Document under the "Project Documents" tab on the project page, or at the Pinyon Public page [LINK]
Submit your comments: Use the Official Comment Portal [LINK]
Reach out to us: If you have expertise, data, or specific concerns to share, please get in touch. We are navigating this together.
Contact the Forest Service Directly to learn about the proposal. Donald Ulrich, 406-587-6723 Donald.Ulrich@usda.gov P.O Box 5; 805 Scott St.Gardiner, MT 59030.
Cross country skiing in Bear Creek near Jardine