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Wednesday, September 8, 2004
Back to a crass future
The Bush administration is nearing final decisions on the preservation of U.S. forests. The administration's plans need serious revision.
President Bush has taken nearly four years to carry out a misguided desire to reopen logging in roadless areas of national forests in Washington and much of the country. Now, the administration is close to overturning President Clinton's rule protecting roadless areas from future logging.
At the same time, the administration is also working on a plan for limiting off-road vehicles in national forests that, despite some bright points, could use a great deal of improvement. Public comment periods on both proposals end next week.
The off-road vehicle plan needs a timetable, a strategy for dealing with unauthorized trails and adequate staffing to enforce new rules. But at least the U.S. Forest Service is moving forward with policies for deciding where the popular all-terrain vehicles can go.
On the roadless rule, the administration's plan would go backward. The proposal incongruously gives governors authority over whether national forest lands will be protected in their states.
Despite bipartisan proposals, Congress has failed to protect the roadless areas. So, it's up to the administration to live up to its rhetoric about protecting resources and abandon its blatant backpedaling.
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