The
Bush Administration’s decision to remove protection for millions of acres of
North America’s roadless national forest regions during legislative changes
has been strongly criticised by green campaigners. The 2001 Roadless Area
Conservation rule, which protected almost 60 million acres of forest, has been
revoked – leaving the lands open to oil extraction, logging and mining.The move was announced without public hearings or environmental impact assessments, unlike the 600 public hearings and 2.5 million statements required to bring the rule into action four years ago.
“It is truly breathtaking just how beholden this White House is to industry,” exclaimed Roger Schlickeisen, President of the Defenders of Wildlife. “Gutting protection for our last truly wild public forests is absolute validation that there is no place so special this administration will not drill, mine or clear cut.”
“The timber industry didn’t like the idea that the best remaining wildlife habitat in our National Forests might actually necessarily and legitimately be set aside for something other than clear cuts, so they had their allies in the White House change the rules. All the other values in our forests – like recreation, clean drinking water, and homes for forest wildlife – get dumped by this rule so that the White House can keep cutting down to the last tree and drilling for the last drop of oil,” added Mr Schlickeisen.
