President Obama recently announced a "time-out" on road-building and other activities on approximately 50 million acres of national forests throughout the United States. The decision, which applies for one year but can be extended, requires the Secretary of Agriculture to approve any new road construction or development projects in an Inventoried Roadless Area.
The 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule is the single largest public land conservation measure in a generation. It was issued by the Clinton Administration after years of study and the most extensive public involvement process in the history of federal rulemaking. With more than one half of America's national forests already open to logging, mining, and drilling, the rule was intended to preserve the last third of our forests undeveloped — as a home for wildlife, a haven for recreation, and a heritage for future generations.
President Obama took a first step toward ensuring that these roadless national treasures remain as they are. Please take a moment to contact President Obama to thank him for taking this important action and ask him to reinstate the Roadless Area Conservation Rule for the permanent protection of our national forest roadless lands.
