BY BRIAN MAFFLY
A federal judge refused to order the removal of mountain goats in Utah's La Sal Mountains on Thursday, saying it is too early for the courts to interfere. The U.S. Forest Service is still formulating a decision in response to Utah's effort to establish non-native big game in alpine terrain, though the agency voiced concerns about the impact the animals could have on delicate and rare plant communities.
The decision dismisses a lawsuit brought by the Grand Canyon Trust and Utah Native Plant Society that alleged the Forest Service is failing its duty to manage habitat in deference to the state's traditional role of overseeing wildlife. The dispute arose after the Utah Wildlife Board's decision to release goats onto state-owned land that have since established a herd in the Manti-La Sal National Forest...