Washington, D.C. - Recreational activities in national forests and efforts to promote and protect forest health would be seriously jeopardized if the U.S. Forest Service's controversial road moratorium is allowed to isolate millions of acres, according to a panel of witnesses who testified at a Congressional hearing today.

The purpose of the hearing before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health was to review the Forest Service's progress in developing a long-term road management policy, initiated in January, 1998, and the agency's 18-month moratorium on construction and reconstruction of roads in roadless areas. A "final interim rule" was published Feb. 11, 1999, taking effect March 1, 1999.

According to the Forest Service, the inventoried road system includes 383,000 miles of forest roads that provide access for:

"Moratorium Threatens Forest Health & Jobs" - Rep. Stupak

"This moratorium undermines years of hard work in our national forests and threatens forest health, jobs in the forest industry and our local communities," said U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Michigan), during today's hearing.

"Since 1991, more trees die and rot each year in national forests than is sold for timber," Stupak said. "This new policy will only increase this trend, promoting the outbreak of disease and creating fuel for forest fires. The Forest Service itself estimates that 40 million acres of its forest are at great risk of being consumed by catastrophic wildlife, the majority of which are located in roadless areas. Without the ability to conduct proper forest management activities, the risk of disease outbreak and forest fires increases dramatically."

"40 Million Acres Already At High Risk Of Catastrophic Fire" - Rep. Duncan

"One of my biggest concerns with the moratorium is its effect on the condition of our forests," said U.S. Rep. John Duncan (R-Tennessee). "The Forest Service has repeatedly told us that they have 40 million acres of national forest land at high risk of catastrophic fire. Their new insect and disease maps verify that this risk is only increasing."

"Intervention Needed To Keep Forests For Future Generations" - Rep. Chenoweth

U.S. Rep. Helen Chenoweth (R-Idaho), the Chairman of the Subcommittee, said the Forest Service's own insect and disease maps indicate a serious problem in Idaho, "where much of the northern part of the state is mapped in red, indicating that 25 percent or more of the trees are expected to die within the next 15 years. This is a catastrophic condition that requires human intervention - and access - if we hope to keep our forests for our own and future generations."

"This Is A Bad Policy For Sportsmen & Recreational Users" - Ron Marlenee

"The greatest threat to the future of hunting is sufficient access for those who are not of substantial means," said former Congressman Ron Marlenee, who now serves as a government affairs consultant for the Safari Club International. "We now have an agency that proposes to curtail that access.

"The proposal to unilaterally close roads is a bad proposal for sportsmen and other recreational users.

"The road closure effort is not a timber issue as the Clinton Administration has been trying to spin," Marlene testified. "This is a reduction in hunting opportunity, a reduction in recreational use and this should be termed a recreation/hunter access issue.

"Increasingly, sportsmen are coming up against pole gates, barriers and 'no motorized vehicle' signs when they arrive at the edge of public property.

"Over 16 million days of hunting occurs annually in the National Forest. For many of these hunters and sportsmen the only opportunity to hunt is on the public land. Safari Club International is committed to insuring access in the forest for this group of sportsmen."

Agency Criticized For Lack Of Public Input In Process - Kelita Svoboda

The Forest Service was also criticized for inadequate local public participation in the development of its road policy by Kelita Svoboda, legislative assistant for the American Motorcyclist Association.

"Forest Service Chief Mike Dombeck testified before this Subcommittee last year that the agency could probably devise a long-term road policy without a moratorium," said Svoboda. "Why would an agency that readily admits it doesn't need to displace the public for any amount of time, devise a strategy that would do just that for a minimum of two-and-a-half years?"