The Roadless Area Conservation Rule was adopted by the Forest Service in 2001 after a lengthy and inclusive public process.  Now the Bush Administration has overturned that policy.  While they were savvy enough not to attack this very popular rule during his first term, making statements such as Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman's, “This administration is committed to providing roadless protection for our national forests,” the Bush Administration later withdrew the Rule, which protected 58.5 million acres of National Forests across the country.

Now each state that wants to protect roadless areas on National Forests is required to undergo costly and time-consuming efforts on a state-by-state basis.  Governors must petition for roadless protection for these roadless forest lands.  Even if a governor is willing to undergo the process to petition for roadless protection for certain national forests within his/her state, there is no guarantee the recommendations will be accepted.  The Bush Administration could still decide not to provide any protection for roadless areas, even after the states have jumped through all the new hoops.

The current Roadless Area Conservation Rule affects 58.5 million acres of federal forest land, which amounts to 2% of the land base of this country and 31% of the land base of the Forest Service.  You used to be able to go to the Forest Service website to check out the number of acres of inventoried roadless areas in your state and to view maps of each of the federal forests in your state and see where the inventoried roadless areas are located.  That information has been removed from the Forest Service website.

What is the Economic Value of Roadless Areas?  Click on this link to find out.

To learn more about the latest action, go to www.earthjustice.org/news/display.html?ID=992 and http://www.ourforests.org/.

John Loomis  and Robert Richardson, in their 2000 publication “Economic Values of Protecting Roadless Areas in the United States,”  “found that in their current condition, the 42 million acres of roadless lands can be expected to provide almost $600 million in recreation benefits each year, more than $280 in passive use values, and nearly 24,000 jobs.”

As the Forest Service web site used to say, “Inventoried roadless areas possess social and ecological values and characteristics that are becoming scarce in our Nation’s increasingly developed landscape.  Protecting air and water quality, biodiversity, and opportunities for personal renewal are highly valued qualities of roadless areas.  Conserving inventoried roadless areas leaves a legacy of natural areas for future generations.  The Roadless Area Conservation Rule limits or prohibits activities that would most negatively affect these values.”  That is sadly no longer true.

Click here to read what county officials say about roadless protection.

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