The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and the Nez Perce Tribe are seeking to have their voices heard in a lawsuit over the transport of large equipment in Montana.

The tribes are worried that the megaloads will affect off-reservation treaty areas. They have filed an amicus brief in a lawsuit against the Montana Department of Transportation.

"We've got some cultural interests in the area and we really would like to know a little more information on how potentially this could impact those areas," CSKT spokesman Rob MacDonald told The Missoulian.

Imperial Oil/ExxonMobil plans to transport large equipment from Idaho through Montana to Canada. The Idaho portion of the route will pass through the Nez Perce Reservation and the Nez Perce Trail.

The Montana portion of the Kearl Module Transportation Plan crosses off-reservation hunting, fishing and grazing areas.

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Nez Perce, CSKT seek to join lawsuit against Kearl megaloads (The Missoulian 4/15)