WASHINGTON - President Bush will visit Rocky Mountain National Park on Tuesday, just as his administration continues to roll back forest rules that protect that park from encroaching development.

Environmentalists will call attention to the Bush administrationšs values gap on national forest protection in an ad to appear in the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News on Tuesday. Click here to view a pdf version of the ad.

"Itšs ironic that this president would talk about character and have his picture taken in the shadow of such a remarkable national treasure when his administration is actually threatening to destroy it," said Jane Danowitz, director of the Heritage Forests Campaign.

The Bush administration is seeking to roll back the Roadless Area Conservation Rule in order to open nearly one quarter of the neighboring national forest to logging, mining, and drilling. The rule would prevent road-building on the remaining wild 30 percent of national forest lands. More than 50 percent of our national forests are already open to development.

The popular Arapaho Roosevelt National Forest surrounds the Rocky Mountain National Park and provides a buffer to prevent damage to the park. By allowing logging, mining, and drilling in the Arapaho, the administrationšs rollback of the roadless rule could threaten the Rocky Mountain National Park.

President Bush is on a swing through Colorado to visit the national park, talk about character, and raise campaign cash for Sen. Wayne Allard (R- Colo.).

The Arapaho Roosevelt National Forest is among the most heavily visited national forests in the country because of it relative proximity to Denver and Boulder. It is the only national forest named after President Theodore Roosevelt, the prominent conservationist president.

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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.