Cantwell on Bush Administration's Efforts to Dismantle Roadless Rule
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell today expressed growing frustration over the Bush Administration's ongoing efforts to overturn the U.S. Forest Service's Roadless Area Conservation Rule.
“Our national Roadless areas are part of America's treasured natural heritage and deserve national protection, not a piecemeal, state-by-state approach.
“Despite hearing from over two million Americans who said they support the Roadless Rule, this Administration has sought to dismantle the Rule since its first days in office.
“In a time of record deficits, the Bush Administration should not be forcing American taxpayers to subsidize logging roads and timber sales while ignoring the Forest Service's $10 billion backlog on existing road repairs.”
Cantwell is the main sponsor of the Roadless Area Conservation Act, which would permanently protect Roadless areas.
Ironically, the Bush Administration announced the end of the Roadless Rule in Idaho on the heels of two studies that showed the best hunting and fishing is in the state's Roadless areas.
In Washington state alone there are 2,015,000 acres of National Forest system lands that qualify for protection as Roadless areas.
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