Tag Archive for 'Roadless Rule'

Roadlessland.org

Published
by
Modern Hiker
on March 4, 2008
in Environmentalism, National Forests and Recreation Areas and Politics
. 3 Comments

Reader Nelson commented on some of the recent entries about the Forest Service’s attempt to overturn the 2001 Roadless Rule. He provided a link to his web site, devoted to educating the public about the Roadless Rule — roadlessland.org.

It’s an easy and visceral way to get an idea of just how much land could be affected if the Roadless Rule is overturned. Here in Southern California, large swaths of the Angeles and San Bernardino Forests will be up for grabs, while almost all of the Los Padres National Forest could be facing new construction crews.

The dark green diagonals are already-established Wilderness Areas. The light green areas are currently-held Roadless areas, which may potentially lose their protection if the Bush Forest Service gets its way.

You can click on the sections of forest to get more information about each one, as well as search by state and name. If you want to get a bit more informed, there’s an excellent summary of the issue … and if you want to be scared about what might happen, they’ve got aerial photos of some particularly invasive Forest Service roads.

Update: Roadless Rule

Published
by
Modern Hiker
on February 29, 2008
in Environmentalism, National Forests and Recreation Areas and Politics
. 2 Comments

Today, the L.A. Times reports the state of California filed suit against the U.S. Forest Service over the Bush Administration’s attempts to overturn the Roadless Rule. And they didn’t stop there.

The Golden State also slapped the Forest Service’s wrists on their current levels of designated Wilderness areas in California, saying the 500,000 acres already protected needs to at least double in order to protect endangered and threatened species.

Wow. Maybe a bit of payback for the fuel efficiency EPA waiver smackdown from a few months back?

Whatever the reason, it’s good to be a Californian today.

Weekend Watching - Fighting Over Forests

Published
by
Modern Hiker
on February 29, 2008
in Environmentalism, National Forests and Recreation Areas and Politics
. 0 Comments

If you live in the West, chances are you live near a National Forest. Even in Los Angeles, there are four National Forests within reasonable (at least for Southern California) driving distance. If you’re reading this site, chances are you’re a hiker or otherwise enjoy the outdoors, and have probably used these National Forests pretty frequently.

Then this matters to you.

A bit o’ history — near the end of President Clinton’s second term, the Forest Service adopted the “Roadless Rule,” which prevented new roads from being built in the approximately 30% of land that didn’t already have them. The plan preserved access for recreation, but not industry, which already had permission to develop 51% of Forest Service land (hence the slogan, “land of many uses,” I guess).

Then Bush got into office, and started working on overturning this rule, for “states’ rights.” You know, over Federal land. And not, he swears, for the industry cronies he’s appointed into every level of the Park Service and Forest Service. Honest.

This week, PBS’ “Now” has a 20 minute feature on the first major battleground in this attack on our National Forests - southeastern Idaho. The state was the first to propose its own “roadless” areas, which were significantly fewer than the zones protected under the Forest Service’s rule.

Watch it.

Then take the Feds up on their Comment Period if and when it comes to your state. If this isn’t fought, almost 4 and a half million acres of Forest could be opened in California alone.

For more fun reading, check out Now’s list of 9 landmark environmental decisions during the Bush administration. Remember them the next time Bush tries to trick people into thinking he’s an environmentalist.