New Forest Rules May Pave Way for Roads(sweep aside Clinton policy)

[papau]

So the Clinton-era -January 2001 rule - ban on building new roads in nearly 60 million acres of national forests is lifted to help Bush's logging, mining and oil and gas development corporate donners - and Bush's move recieves a chilly reception in Washington state and Oregon yesterday from local media (the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and Oregonian).

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/181882_roadless13.html

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/front_page/1089719722144960.xml

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-roadless13jul13.story

New Forest Rules May Pave Way for Roads
Bush plan would sweep aside Clinton policy that protected 58.5 million acres of federal land.
By Bettina Boxall Times Staff Writer July 13, 2004

The Bush administration proposed new forest rules Monday that could lead to logging, mining and oil and gas development in remote country that had been protected under a policy issued in the waning days of the Clinton presidency.

The regulations would replace a January 2001 rule that banned road building and timber cutting on 58.5 million acres of roadless terrain in national forests with a policy giving state governors a say in the backcountry's management. Most of the land is in 12 Western states, including 4 million acres in California.

Hailed by conservationists, the road prohibition was quickly challenged in a series of lawsuits filed by states and various interest groups that complained it was creating de facto wilderness areas, usurping congressional authority. Early court decisions were conflicting, with two federal district judges ruling against the Clinton road ban and a federal appeals court upholding it.

The Bush administration proposal, announced in Boise, Idaho, by Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman, would give governors considerable input on the future of roadless areas. States could petition the federal government if they wanted to maintain road-building bans on all or part of the affected forestland. They also could ask federal officials to open the land to road construction, whether for logging, gas or oil development or off-road vehicle use. The decision on any petition would be made by the Agriculture secretary.

Mark E. Rey, the Agriculture undersecretary who oversees the U.S. Forest Service, said the proposed regulations were an attempt to resolve a 40-year fight over roadless areas, which make up about 30% of the country's national forests. Broad, sweeping policies, such as that issued by Clinton, haven't worked, nor have attempts to settle the issue on a forest-by-forest basis, Rey said.<snip>

[yellowcanine]

1. This could help Kerry with the hunting and fishing voters. Bush will

still probably win that group but his advantage could be cut into with this decision. Many hunters and fishermen are beginning to realize that the environmental policies of the * administration are not benefiting them. A Trout Unlimited guy was on NPR this morning complaining about this decision. Pennsylvania and West Virginia have a lot of hunters and fishermen.

[donco6]

2. This has a big impact on Colorado.

We have lots of lands that are not officially categorized as "wilderness" which means they're now available for road building, which will lead to logging, mining and drilling. Not to mention the ravages of redneck offroaders.

[eleonora]

3. this is a sad day for the conservation of our forests

and all the species within them.

[HuckleB]

4. Hey, Ralph. I thought there wasn't any difference between the candidates?

What gives?

We have so few roadless areas left. This is an insane policy change. It's all about greed, and the worst kind. This is humanity at its most terrible -- Brutally ignorant of the consequences.