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Forests:
Roadless Area Conservation Act

Our Position: support
Bill Number: S2364
Sponsor: Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)
Legislative Session: 2006

Introduced by Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), the Roadless Area Conservation Act would pass into law the Roadless Rule, which was codified under Bill Clinton in 2001 but overturned by the Bush administration in 2005.  The legislation, S.2364, would protect wild forests from logging, road-building, and other environmentally harmful development.  The legislation is similar to a bill introduced last summer in the House, which was sponsored by 145 Representatives.

Status

Contact

Sean Cosgrove
Senior Washington Representative
National Forests and Endangered Species
sean.cosgrove@sierraclub.org
202-547-1141

Background

Signed into law in 2001 under President Clinton, the Roadless Area Conservation Rule law, known commonly as the Roadless Rule, is a groundbreaking plan to protect nearly 60 million acres of the last wild and untouched areas of our National Forests.  The product of scientific and economic studies and public input, the rule garnered more public comments than any federal rule in history.

Unfortunately, in May 2005 the Bush administration announced that it was revoking the landmark protection in favor of an ill-conceived plan that leaves America's last remaining wild forests at risk.  This move is part of a broader assault on National Forest protections, as the Bush administration puts the interests of big timber companies ahead of clean water, recreational uses, wildlife habitat, and economic benefits enjoyed by all Americans.

Instead of finding ways to provide millions of dollars in subsidies to the timber industry, the government should be working to permanently protect all remaining roadless areas in each state and across the National Forest System. These are areas of national significance and they deserve a single, nation-wide policy to protect them--not a piecemeal state-by-state approach.