Reply #15: Bush opens U.S. forests

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Critics decry rule allowing new roads in a third of nation's woodlands

By Michael Kilian, Washington Bureau. "Forest Service roadless areas" list by the Associated Press
Published May 6, 2005


WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration Thursday took sweeping action to open nearly 60 million acres--about one-third of national forest land--to new road construction, which in turn could lead to logging, mining and other commercial use of these previously protected areas.

Although lawsuits are still pending over the issue, the plan undoes the "roadless rule" that President Bill Clinton ordered in 2001 during his last days in office. It had banned more road construction on 58.5 million acres of national forests, nearly all of them in Alaska and 11 other Western states.

In announcing the policy, Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns, whose department includes the U.S. Forest Service, praised it as cooperative, collaborative conservation. "Our actions today advance President Bush's commitment to cooperatively conserve inventoried roadless areas within our national forests," Johanns said. He added that his department "is committed to working closely with the nation's governors to meet the needs of our local communities while protecting and restoring the health and natural beauty of our national forests."

Conservation groups termed the move a mammoth step backward.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0505060358may06,1,343734.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true