NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FOREST SERVICE RETIREES

DATE:         7/27/04 4:45 PM

RE:         NATIONAL FOREST ROADLESS AREAS

For Immediate Release                                                                Contact:         Dick Pfilf

                                                                                                                        (703) 922-3854

The “Coalition of Concerned National Park Service Retirees” prematurely and inappropriately dives into the national forest roadless controversy.

This Coalition intends to hold hearings on what they describe as “the devastating prospect of the Bush administration’s recent decision to abandon federal protection of nearly 60 million acres of forest lands that have so far survived uncut by roads, saws, and other intrusions.”

The action is premature due to the fact that protection is still in place and will remain in place until an environmental impact statement, with full public participation, designates the land uses for any area. It is also premature because the so-called federal protection has been overturned by a U.S. Court decision, which finds that: The agency’s decision not to extend the scoping period was arbitrary and capricious. It arbitrarily and capriciously denied cooperating agency status under NEPA to Wyoming and ten other states without supplying any supporting rationale. The action failed to rigorously explore and objectively evaluate all reasonable alternatives, contrary to the terms of NEPA. The agency failed to adequately consider the cumulative impacts of the roadless rule. The agency decision not to issue a supplemental EIS before proceeding with the final EIS was arbitrary and capricious due to substantial changes between the two documents. The agency violated the Wilderness Act by establishing a de facto wilderness thereby usurping the role of Congress. The Court further found that one of the purposes of the Wilderness Act was to prevent the further creation of wilderness by executive action.

The action by the Coalition is inappropriately pointing fingers because it is a Federal Court, not the Bush administration, that caused the abandonment of the roadless rule. It erroneously describes the 60 million acres as pristine, when, in actuality, because of the haste in pushing the roadless rule out the door prior to the demise of the last administration, the areas included roads, power lines, private land, mines, timber harvests, and other similar incursions. As Judge Brimmer wrote, “(T) he Court must again conclude that Wyoming was right in characterizing the Forest Service’s process as a ‘mad dash to complete the Roadless Initiative before President Clinton left office.’” It is inappropriate because the Coalition professes a concern for the action on national parks, when there is no action proposed or even in the picture that could affect a park.

Finally, it is inappropriate to reasoned and responsible action for resolving the issue. The timing and phraseology of the Coalition’s action smack of continuation of political maneuvering. It’s time to move on to more responsible discourse concerning national forest roadless areas, one that can stand the legal test and one that can stand the test of relevance.

Dick Pfilf

Executive Director

National Association of Forest Service Retirees