REP America Welcomes Forest Ruling

REP America welcomed Thursday's appeals court decision lifting an injunction against a rule protecting roadless areas in America's national forests. The ruling was a victory for sound, balanced conservation of wild forests that provide clean air, clean water, fish and wildlife, open space, and recreation opportunities.

REP America, the national grassroots organization of Republicans for environmental protection, welcomed Thursday's appeals court decision lifting an injunction against a popular policy protecting national forest roadless areas.

"The decision is a victory for sound, balanced conservation of America's natural heritage. The appeals court correctly noted that once wild forests are roaded and logged, there is no going back. Our generation must act patriotically as responsible stewards of the public lands in our care. Keeping roadless areas as they are is a cautious, conservative policy that will secure the benefits of wild forests for future American citizens. We call on President Bush to follow the public's wishes and implement the rule in good faith," REP America Policy Director Jim DiPeso said.

Roadless areas provide vital services benefiting all citizens, now and in the future, including clean air, clean water, fish and wildlife, public recreation, open space, and carbon storage.

The Roadless Area Conservation Rule was adopted administratively in January 2001. The rule prohibits road construction and commercial logging on 58.5 million acres of wild forests, about one-third of the entire national forest system. The rule makes some exceptions to ensure access to private property and for thinning projects designed to reduce wildfire risk.

The appeals court turned aside a lower court's decision that the rule adoption process was illegal and that citizens did not have enough opportunity to comment on the rule before its adoption.

"Americans made it clear that they want our country's last wild forests protected. Citizens wrote piles of letters and showed up in droves at hearings around the nation to support protection of our heritage forests. Contrary to the ridiculous claims of plaintiffs who challenged the rule, there was no shortage of opportunities for citizens to make their views known," DiPeso said.

While the appeals court decision was a victory for conservation, the rule could still be undone by administrative action. "To ensure long-term protection of these special forests, we must add qualifying areas to the National Wilderness Preservation System through legislation," DiPeso said. "Roadless areas are, in reality, de facto wilderness. Only when Congress designates roadless lands as wilderness can we be certain that they will be protected, unimpaired, for the permanent good of the whole people."