For Release: May 4, 2004

New Report: Changes to National Forest Protections Threaten 9.5 Million Acres of Pristine Wild Forests in Montana and Idaho

For More Information:
Phil Knight, Native Forest Network (Bozeman, Montana): 406.586.3885
Matthew Koehler, Native Forest Network (Missoula, Montana): 406.542.7343
Gary Macfarlane, Friends of the Clearwater (Idaho): 208.882.9755

MISSOULA, MONTANA - A report released today by the Native Forest Network and Friends of the Clearwater found that 9.5 million acres of Montana and Idaho's pristine national forests could be made available for logging and road-building if the Bush administration reverses policies put into place in the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule.

The Roadless Rule is designed to protect the last intact one-third of the nation's roadless forests from road-building, mining and logging. The administration has already exempted America's largest National Forest - Alaska's Tongass Rainforest - from the rule, and has announced its intentions to revise the rule as it applies to the rest of the nation's forests.

The Native Forest Network and Friends of the Clearwater released the report today to mark the anniversary of Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman's May 4, 2001, pledge to uphold the provisions of the Roadless Rule. Despite her pledge, Ms. Veneman's subordinate, Agriculture Undersecretary Mark E. Rey, recently said changes to the rule were imminent. Environmental groups expect the changes will follow the Bush Administration's practice to date of favoring well-heeled logging interests at the expense of protecting forests for future generations.

The report profiles roadless areas within the Montana and Idaho national forests that have been lost due to logging and road-building prior to the creation of the Roadless Rule, and identifies several roadless areas that could meet a similar fate if the Roadless Rule is reversed. According to the report, there are already 67,000 miles of roads traversing the Montana and Idaho's national forest lands, more than six times the amount of roads in Montana and Idaho's state highway system. The maintenance backlog for these roads already exceeds $1.3 million.

"The Bush administration has worked relentlessly on behalf of industrial logging corporations to gut the Roadless Rule and open our last intact public forests in Montana and Idaho to logging and road-building," said Phil Knight with the Native Forest Network. "This report shows changes to the Roadless Rule would be devastating to Montana and Idaho's national forests, putting 60 percent of our roadless acres at risk."

"Roadless areas in Montana and Idaho are crucial habitat for salmon, steelhead, and bull trout. Not only do they provide clean water, but prime wildlife habitat and places citizens can escape the din of industrial society," said Gary Macfarlane of Friends of the Clearwater. "Protecting them is part of our duty to the nation's cultural and natural heritage."

Late last year, the Bush administration exempted the Tongass National Forest from the rule in a stealth move two days before Christmas. The administration has also stated its intent to strip federal protections for other wild forests. During testimony before the House Resources Committee on March 3rd, 2004, Chief Dale N. Bosworth indicated that the Forest Service intends to propose changes to weaken the Roadless Rule in the Lower 48 states and the Chugach National Forest in Alaska. According to Agriculture Undersecretary Mark E. Rey, those changes could be announced this month.

The Roadless Rule is a landmark conservation initiative enacted in 2001 to protect 58.5 million acres of roadless areas in our national forests from most logging and road-building. The Roadless Rule enjoys widespread support. Members of Congress, major corporations such as Staples, outdoor retailers such as REI, hundreds of gun groups in states such as Pennsylvania and Michigan and Governors from New Mexico, Virginia, Maine, Washington, and Pennsylvania have announced their opposition to changes to the rule. To date, nearly 2.5 million positive comments have been received on the rule by the federal government.