Forest Service seeks input on roadless plan

Public comment will be accepted for 60 days

N.S. NOKKENTVED, THE OLYMPIAN

Originally published July 13, 2001

OLYMPIA -- The U.S. Forest Service wants more public comments on a ban on logging and new roads in roadless areas.

Before adopting the policy in January, the Forest Service last year conducted about 600 public hearings, generating 1.6 million comments.

The policy covers 58.5 million acres of national forest land, including about 2 million acres in Washington.

The Bush administration considers the policy flawed and wants to change it to include more local control.

Conservationists say the policy provides long-needed protection to the nation's remaining wild lands. It was adopted in the last days of the Clinton administration.

Before revising the policy, the Forest Service wants additional public comment, including responses to 10 questions during a 60-day public comment period.

The questions are published in the Federal Register and are available on the Web at roadless.fs.fed.us under "Where are we now?"

Here is an edited version of the questions:

- What is the appropriate role of local forest planning in evaluating protection and management of roadless areas?

- What is the best way for the Forest Service to work with states, tribes, local communities, other organizations and individuals to ensure that concerns about roadless values are heard and resolved in a fair and open process?

- How should roadless areas be managed to provide healthy forests?

- How should communities and private property be protected from wildfires on adjacent federal lands?

- What is the best way to ensure that states, tribes, organizations and individuals continue to have reasonable access to their property within roadless areas?

- What characteristics, environmental values, social and economic considerations, and other factors should the Forest Service consider as it evaluates roadless areas?

- Are there specific activities that should be expressly prohibited or allowed for roadless areas through Forest Plan revisions or amendments?

- Should roadless areas selected for future protection through local forest plan revisions be proposed to Congress for wilderness designation, or should they be maintained under a specific designation for roadless area management under forest plans?

- How can the Forest Service work with strongly competing values in evaluating and managing public lands and resources?

- What other concerns, comments or interests relating to the protection and management of inventoried roadless areas are important?

N.S. Nokkentved covers the outdoors for The Olympian. He can be reached at 360-754-5445.

Want to be heard?

- Send comments by mail to USDA-Forest Service -- CAT, attn. Roadless ANPR Comments, P.O. Box 221090, Salt Lake City, UT 84122; by e-mail to roadless_anpr@fs.fed.us; or by fax to 801-296-4090, attention Road-less ANPR Comments.

- For more information, call Jody Sutton at 801-517-1023.

The Olympian Copyright 2001

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