WASHINGTON - "Today the Bush administration is not only throwing out the rule, it is throwing out the rulebook on national forest protection.

"Today's action demonstrates that the Bush administration is walking away from balanced protections for the last 30% of our wild national forests by tying the roadless rule to the forest planning process, the basic framework for national forest protection. And, just for good measure, the Bush administration, on a separate track, is attacking the forest planning process itself.

"This just looks like a page right out of Big Timber's playbook. The arguments used by the Bush Administration to reopen the roadless area protection rule are a smokescreen for their desire to allow timber, mining and oil companies into these last remaining wild areas of the National Forests. The issues cited by Secretary Veneman's office are not new. They were fully considered during the original rulemaking process that generated an unprecedented 1.6 million public comments. Ninety-five percent of the those commenting on the rule wanted it strengthened, not weakened as the Administration is proposing to do today."

Click here to view the Forest Service's notice of advanced rulemaking.

Contact: Tony Iallonardo, NET
(202) 887-8855

The Heritage Forests Campaign is an alliance of conservationists, wildlife advocates, clergy, educators, scientists, and other Americans working together to uphold protection of our National Forests. Heritage Forests Campaign's partners include Alaska Rainforest Coalition, American Hiking Society, Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund, National Environmental Trust, National Audubon Society, Natural Resources Defense Council, US PIRG, and The Wilderness Society.

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Heritage Forests Campaign News Release July 6, 2001 STATEMENT OF JANE DANOWITZ, DIRECTOR OF HERITAGE FORESTS CAMPAIGN, IN RESPONSE TO BUSH ACTION ON ROADLESS The Bush administration filed a notice of Advanced Proposed Rulemaking regarding the Roadless Area Conservation Rule that will appear in the Federal Register on Tuesday, July 10. The public will have 60 days to comment on the 10 scoping questions contained in the document.