Post by Lyle on Jun 9, 2003 18:05:33 GMT -5
From: "John Stewart"
Sent: Friday, June 06, 2003 1:42 AM
Subject: Roadless Conservation Act Introduced in Congress
Moderator's Note:
Like a bad penny, the Roadless Area Conservation is back.
Roadless Conservation Act Introduced in Congress
WASHINGTON, DC, June 5, 2003 (ENS) - With bipartisan support, the
National Forest Roadless Area Conservation Act was introduced today
in both houses of Congress. If passed into law, the measure will
codify the Clinton era Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which
protects 58.5 million acres of roadless areas in National Forests
from road construction and most logging.
Senators John Warner, a Virginia Republican, and Maria Cantwell, a
Washington Democrat, introduced the bill in the Senate, and
Representatives Sherwood Boehlert, a New York Republican, and Jay
Inslee, a Washington Democrat, introduced the act in the House
The move was greeted with approval by environmentalists. William
Meadows, president of The Wilderness Society, said, "Since 1998, the
American people have made it crystal clear that they support
protecting the wildest places in our National Forests. Time and time
again the public has expressed its unwavering support for strong
protection of these magnificent wild lands."
When the roadless rule was first proposed, more than 2.3 million
public comments were received in favor of protection for roadless
areas - nearly 10 times greater than the level of response to any
other rulemaking in federal rulemaking history, Meadows points out.
REP America, the national grassroots organization of Republicans for
environmental protection, today praised the bipartisan legislation.
"Without question, protecting wild forests is enormously popular.
Every time the Forest Service has asked, citizens have overwhelmingly
supported protection of roadless forests. This legislation would give
the force of law to a conservation policy the public clearly wants,"
said Jim DiPeso, REP America policy director.
The Bush administration has blocked the Roadless Area Conservation
Rule, which was put in place only during the last month of Bill
Clinton's presidency, by court challenges and executive action.
Protecting wild forests does the taxpayers a favor, DiPeso said.
"Roadless areas are roadless for a reason. Generally, roadless lands
are in remote backcountry that would be expensive to log."
"Keeping these areas off limits to commercial harvest ensures that
taxpayers will not be stuck with the tab for Forest Service timber
sales that often lose money," DiPeso said. "In addition, we don't
need to burden the public with the costs of building more logging
roads when the Forest Service can't afford to maintain its existing
road network."
The Forest Service faces a maintenance backlog of $8.4 billion for
its 380,000 mile network of forest roads.
* * *
--
John Stewart
Director, Environmental Affairs,
United Four Wheel Drive Associations, www.ufwda.org
Recreation Access and Conservation Editor, www.4x4wire.com
Moderator, MUIRNet - Multiple Use Information Resource Network
A fundamental law of public land access is:
Increased habitat designation for threatened and endangered species
is directly proportional to loss of access to public lands.
Sent: Friday, June 06, 2003 1:42 AM
Subject: Roadless Conservation Act Introduced in Congress
Moderator's Note:
Like a bad penny, the Roadless Area Conservation is back.
Roadless Conservation Act Introduced in Congress
WASHINGTON, DC, June 5, 2003 (ENS) - With bipartisan support, the
National Forest Roadless Area Conservation Act was introduced today
in both houses of Congress. If passed into law, the measure will
codify the Clinton era Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which
protects 58.5 million acres of roadless areas in National Forests
from road construction and most logging.
Senators John Warner, a Virginia Republican, and Maria Cantwell, a
Washington Democrat, introduced the bill in the Senate, and
Representatives Sherwood Boehlert, a New York Republican, and Jay
Inslee, a Washington Democrat, introduced the act in the House
The move was greeted with approval by environmentalists. William
Meadows, president of The Wilderness Society, said, "Since 1998, the
American people have made it crystal clear that they support
protecting the wildest places in our National Forests. Time and time
again the public has expressed its unwavering support for strong
protection of these magnificent wild lands."
When the roadless rule was first proposed, more than 2.3 million
public comments were received in favor of protection for roadless
areas - nearly 10 times greater than the level of response to any
other rulemaking in federal rulemaking history, Meadows points out.
REP America, the national grassroots organization of Republicans for
environmental protection, today praised the bipartisan legislation.
"Without question, protecting wild forests is enormously popular.
Every time the Forest Service has asked, citizens have overwhelmingly
supported protection of roadless forests. This legislation would give
the force of law to a conservation policy the public clearly wants,"
said Jim DiPeso, REP America policy director.
The Bush administration has blocked the Roadless Area Conservation
Rule, which was put in place only during the last month of Bill
Clinton's presidency, by court challenges and executive action.
Protecting wild forests does the taxpayers a favor, DiPeso said.
"Roadless areas are roadless for a reason. Generally, roadless lands
are in remote backcountry that would be expensive to log."
"Keeping these areas off limits to commercial harvest ensures that
taxpayers will not be stuck with the tab for Forest Service timber
sales that often lose money," DiPeso said. "In addition, we don't
need to burden the public with the costs of building more logging
roads when the Forest Service can't afford to maintain its existing
road network."
The Forest Service faces a maintenance backlog of $8.4 billion for
its 380,000 mile network of forest roads.
* * *
--
John Stewart
Director, Environmental Affairs,
United Four Wheel Drive Associations, www.ufwda.org
Recreation Access and Conservation Editor, www.4x4wire.com
Moderator, MUIRNet - Multiple Use Information Resource Network
A fundamental law of public land access is:
Increased habitat designation for threatened and endangered species
is directly proportional to loss of access to public lands.