As the new home of WashPIRG's environmental work, Environment Washington can be contacted regarding this news release.
SEATTLE—On the final
day of the public comment period on the Bush administration’s controversial
proposal to repeal the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, a local coalition of
sportsmen, religious leaders, businesses, recreational users and conservationists
announced that a record-breaking 1.5 million Americans nationally and more than
60,000 in Washington State alone have spoken out against weakening protections
for 58.5 million acres of roadless areas in national forests. This brings the
total number of comments in support of the 2001 Roadless Rule, which was enacted
in January 2001, to more than four million nationally and more than 140,000
from Washington over the last three years. In addition, during the comment period,
more than 140 members of Congress, 130 scientists, and 110 economists spoke
out in opposition to the proposal to repeal the rule.
“More than 140,000
Washington citizens and 4 million people around the country have given the Bush
administration a clear mandate to protect our last remaining wild forests by
preserving roadless areas,” said Robert Pregulman, Executive Director of
WashPIRG. “President Bush must understand that roadless areas are one of
the nation’s greatest natural assets; their ecological and economic value
is too great to sacrifice.”
The administration’s
proposal would fail to guarantee existing protections for two million acres
of wild and roadless national forest land located in Washington State. The proposal
would require governors to petition the US Forest Service to protect national
forest roadless areas in their states. However, the Forest Service does not
have to adopt the petitions, as stated in a regulatory schedule released last
week, “Such petitions would be evaluated and, if agreed to, addressed by
the Secretary in a subsequent rulemaking on a state-by-state basis”. If
a governor chooses not to submit a petition, the management of roadless areas
would revert to the direction of local forest plans, which allow road-building
and logging on much of the 58.5 million acres of roadless areas.
Today, 32 local elected
officials from King and Snohomish Counties sent two separate letters to the
Forest Service opposing the Bush administration’s proposal. From King County,
nearly 30 local lawmakers signed the letter saying, “We strongly support
retaining existing protections for our roadless and undeveloped forests, which
play a large role in making King County such an attractive place to live, work
and raise a family.”
In Snohomish County, 14
local decision makers, including County Executive Aaron Reardon, Everett Mayor
Ray Stephanson, County Council Member Kirke Sievers and State Senator Dave Schmidt,
sent a similar letter to the Forest Service.
“Here in Washington
our political leadership at every level understands the importance of protecting
these special places,” said Tom Uniack, Conservation Director for the Washington
Wilderness Coalition. “Roadless forests are critical to preserving wildlife
habitat for endangered species, safe and clean drinking water for millions of
Americans and the unique quality of life and natural heritage that we all enjoy
here in Washington State.”
Gubernatorial candidates
Christine Gregoire and Dino Rossi have both stated that they support implementation
of the Roadless Rule that was finalized in January 2001.
“Thankfully, Ms. Gregoire
and Mr. Rossi are both on record as saying they support the current Roadless
Rule,” said Roger Singer, a regional representative with Sierra Club. “We
hope and expect that they will join four million members of the American public
in making that case with the Bush administration. The roadless forests in Washington
need their help.”
Representatives of the Washington
Wilderness Coalition, the Washington Public Interest Research Group (WashPIRG),
and the Sierra Club also released a report documenting the benefits of roadless
areas in protecting clean drinking water, preserving wildlife habitat and providing
recreational opportunities. The report, “Our
Natural Legacy: The Value of America’s Roadless National Forests,”
finds that:
- Sixty million Americans
rely on clean drinking water from the national forests. Roadless areas provide
the purest source of that water due to their pristine and road-free condition.
In the Northwest Forest Service Region, which includes Washington and Oregon,
drinking water on national forest land is worth approximately $941 million annually,
which is more than any other region or state in the country except California.
- Outdoor recreation has
become more and more popular over time as Americans participate in everything
from mountain-biking to hunting in roadless areas. Approximately 2.5 million
Washington residents took part in hunting, fishing, and wildlife-watching in
2001, contributing $2.4 billion to the state economy.
- A majority of the unspoiled
habitat for hundreds of threatened, endangered, and declining species is found
in roadless areas. In Washington, 25 at-risk species, including bald eagles,
steelhead and chinook salmon, and bull trout, are found in national forests
and could be harmed by destruction of roadless areas.
The Roadless Rule was finalized
in January 2001 after years of scientific study, 600 local public hearings and
meetings and the largest public rulemaking in the history of the federal government.
The balanced policy protects 58.5 million acres of national forests across the
country, including almost 2 million acres in Washington State, while allowing
temporary road construction in order to fight wildfires, ensure public safety,
and protect forest health. Despite overwhelming public support for the rule,
the Bush administration has stalled implementation of the rule almost immediately
after taking office, failed to defend it in court, exempted Alaska’s Tongass
Rainforest, and in July 2004 proposed an outright repeal.
Related “End of
the Comment Period” Events Today
On Monday November 15 at
9:00 Am PST, a national teleconference will be offered to reporters with a diverse
group of prominent speakers on the roadless issue. Speakers will include New
Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, National Environmental Trust President Phil
Clapp, The Right Reverend William O. Gregg, Ph.D., Bishop, The Episcopal Diocese
of Eastern Oregon, Republicans for Environmental Protection President Martha
Marks, President and CEO of National Wildlife Federation Larry Schweiger, and
Professor Emeritus Harvard University E. O. Wilson, (Invited). The call-in number
is 800-351-6808, ext. 4113.
A broad local coalition
of local organizations representing the hunting, fishing, faith-based, business
recreational user communities have placed a three-quarters page ad in today’s
Seattle Times and Seattle Post-Intellingencer. The Ad highlights the strong
local opposition to the Bush Administration’s efforts to repeal popular
and balanced protections for Washington’s roadless forests and urges Washington
citizens to take their last chance to make a comment online to the Forest Service.
A copy of the ad can be viewed at .
Local citizens will take
to the streets this morning at a number of different pedestrian overpasses around
the greater Seattle metropolitan area, including the I-5 & 50th overpass
between the University District and Wallingford from 9:00 – 11:00 am, to
raise awareness about opposition to the current proposal to repeal protections
for our roadless forests.
