President Bush has ordered the Justice Department to determine how to scuttle the roadless area protection policy, according to today’s [April 26] Washington Post.

"The White House seeks to set aside the rule until the Administration can produce either a less restrictive proposal or eliminate the rule entirely.

"This puts the fate of America’s last pristine National Forests at risk from logging, roadbuilding, oil & gas drilling and mining for years to come."

This decision is a slap in the face to the millions of Americans who participated in the roadless debate over the past two decades and to the overwhelming majority of citizens who support protecting our nation’s forest heritage. Only overwhelming public condemnation of the President’s decision can turn this around.

Please contact your Representative and Senators at 202/224-3121 and urge them to support the roadless area protection policy.

Let them know how disappointed you are that the Bush Administration is trying to undermine this public process with a backroom, out-of-court settlement.

If your Rep. or Senator is a Republican, please ask him/her to immediately contact President Bush and urge him to support the policy.

Please write a letter to the editor in support of the roadless area protection plan.

1. The U.S. Forest Service issued the popular forest conservation plan, known as the Roadless Area Conservation Rule following three years of review and analysis and twenty years of controversy over how to manage these lands.

The roadless policy was the result of the most extensive public participation in a rulemaking process in history, including more than 600 public meetings, 1.6 million public comments, and two years of public debate.

2. This forest conservation policy would protect the last 58 million acres of unspoiled National Forest lands from logging, mining, and drilling, which are already allowed on most National Forest lands.

3. Until recently, the U.S. Forest Service had been functioning largely as the servant of the timber industry, carrying out a program of taxpayer-subsidized logging. Protecting the last 30% of our National Forest lands is an enlightened policy that recognizes that our forests have multiple uses, and that we have a responsibility to conserve these precious resources for future generations.

4. The Bush Administration seems more interested in listening to the special interests and large corporate contributors that want to exploit these lands than to the millions of Americans who cherish these lands and want to see them protected for future generations.

Please act now.

Thanks for all your efforts.

Steve Holmer, Campaign Coordinator American Lands