Attorneys General in California and New Mexico joined the
Governor of Oregon in a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California against the U.S. Forest Service to restore protection for wild forests in their states.
Carl Pope, Sierra Club Executive Director stated,
“Today, the Sierra Club applauds the states of California, New Mexico and
Oregon for taking bold action to protect their states National Forests.
Earlier this year, the Bush administration formally repealed the landmark
2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. In its place they inserted a sham
process requiring a multi-step unfunded mandate.
“These states recognize that under the administrations 2005 Roadless Rule,
the Federal government is shirking its responsibility to protect America's
few remaining roadless areas. These are areas of national significance and
they deserve a single, nation-wide policy to protect them–not a piecemeal
state-by-state approach.
“The original Roadless Rule was the product of exhaustive studies and
scientific, economic and public input, including 600 public meetings.
Unprecedented in its overwhelming popularity, the rule garnered 10 times
more public comments than any federal rule in history. Sadly, the concerns
of millions of Americans met deaf ears, while the administration hung on
the words of a handful of timber industry lobbyists by hastily replacing
the original rule with an ill-conceived plan that forces a convoluted
process on governors and leaves Americas last remaining wild forests at
risk.
“We applaud California, New Mexico and Oregon for taking the lead and
fighting for the clean water, recreational opportunities, economic benefits
and wildlife habitat that these forests provide the country.”
