Washington, D.C.–(ENEWSPF)–November 17, 2011. On the heels of a landmark Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals decision upholding the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, a broad group of senators and representatives introduced legislation today to make sure the administrative rule remains the law of the land—locking in protections for 58.5 million acres of America’s wildest and most pristine forests and waters for generations to come.The Roadless Area Conservation Act, sponsored by 20 Senate and 111 bipartisan House co-sponsors, will confirm long-term protections against damaging commercial logging and road-building for vulnerable wildlands on 30 percent of the 193-million-acre National Forest System, shielding our Roadless areas from the political whims of future administrations.
This legislation highlights the strong congressional support for protecting America’s unique legacy of wild forests, despite a decade’s worth of attacks from an anti-environmental faction of Congress aiming to rollback Roadless protections. This legislation will also ensure that our Roadless protections are implemented across the nation—without exception.
When ever I see “last remaining pristine forestlands” used to describe Roadless Areas, I automatically discount what they are pushing on me. In essence, that promise is a flat out lie to the taxpayers using a political bait and switch. I don’t see this getting through the House, at all. So many “pie-in-the-sky” bills are just political fodder to show their constituents how “green” they are. They have no hope of passing.
Also, the words “damaging commercial logging” are sheer preservationist rhetoric in many parts of the country.