07.25.02

Cantwell, Warner introduce Roadless Area Conservation legislation

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and John Warner (R-VA) with a bipartisan group of Senators today introduced the Roadless Area Conservation Act of 2002, which is a reasoned approach to forest management that balances the use of the forest for economic purposes and the preservation forest land for future generations.

"Our remaining roadless areas are a precious legacy that requires enlightened stewardship," Cantwell said. "The Roadless Area Conservation Act successfully strikes a balance that preserves roadless areas without adversely impacting the use of the forest for economic purposes."

The Roadless Area Conservation Act simply protects the remaining pristine national forests that make up only 31 percent of America's national forests. It is a balanced policy that allows for the continued management of roadless areas against catastrophic fire and other disturbances while also preserving these relatively limited acres of public forest lands as a legacy for our children. The Roadless Forest Protection Act neither limits public access to existing roaded areas nor limits recreational opportunities throughout the forest land.

The Roadless Area Conservation Act is based on a rule developed by the previous administration that is the result of years of deliberation, 600 public meetings in local communities nationwide, and 1.6 million public comments. There were 60,000 comments alone from my home state of Washington, and 96 percent of those favored strong protection for roadless national forests.

"The Roadless Area Conservation Act makes environmental and economic sense, but it is also fiscally prudent," Cantwell said. "Currently, our national forests contain over 383,000 miles of roads, many of which are in great disrepair. According to a report release today by Tax Payers for Common Sense, in Washington state alone there is a $100 million dollar backlog on maintenance repairs. The Roadless Area Conservation Act allows the Forest Service to concentrate its efforts on addressing the $8.4 billion shortfall needed to maintain existing roads instead of constructing new roads that will add to the maintenance burden in the future."