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Protecting America's National Forests is a reference guide to the Roadless Rule, which protects our last wild forests from logging, drilling, and mining.

OUR FORESTS AT RISK: OVERVIEW & RESOURCES " Eliminating the Roadless Rule: Details & Analysis of the Repeal " Roadless Rule Legal Status " 2.5 Million and Growing by the Day: An Overview of Roadless Rule Comments " Roadless Acreage by State (in our Get Local Section) " Other Threats to Our Forests

Roadless Rule Comments from the Public 2.5 Million and Counting

By September of 2003, the Forest Service had received over 2.5 million comments on the Roadless Rule almost exclusively in support of the Rule. And they should receive another million by the end of the 2004 comment period.

The Breakdown

• Roadless Area Conservation Rule Scoping
  October 19, 1999 December 20, 1999
  365,000 comments
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• Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)
  May 9 July 17, 2000
  1,176,016 total comments submitted
  98.6% of comments in support of the Roadless Rule
  Note: nearly 20% of comments were submitted during public hearings, which will not happen during the current comment period since the Bush administration has failed to hold a single hearing.
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• Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR)
  July 10 September 11, 2001
  726,440 total comments submitted
  95% of comments in support of the Roadless Rule
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• Tongass and Chugach Exemption Comment Periods
  Ending September 2, 2003
  250,000 comments in support of the Roadless Rule

Comment Math

365,000 + 1,176,016 + 726,440 + 250,000 = 2,517,456
97.9% in support of roadless