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March 4,
2000
(WASHINGTON,
DC) - Congressman Wally Herger expressed his strong opposition to the
recent Road System policy regulations proposed by the Forest Service. The
Forest Service announcement is the 5th set of national regulations to be
issued in the last 6 months, including the roadless area initiative, the
land management planning regulations, the Forest Service strategic plan,
and the unified watershed approach to management. This list does not
include the large-scale planning effort in Northern California, the Sierra
Nevada Framework.
"I am extremely concerned that the Forest Service
is placing an unreasonable burden on Northern Californians in asking them
to review, analyze, understand and effectively comment upon each of these
complex initiatives," Herger expressed. "Despite my repeated requests, and
those of other members of Congress and the interested public, the agency
has refused to provide additional time to comment on many of these
proposals.
"The Forest Service has given lip service to the idea of
public input, but it has done precious little to provide the necessary
time for our citizens to truly understand and influence these
policies.
"There are over 40 million acres of national forest lands
at serious risk of catastrophic fire and another 26 million acres at risk
of insect and disease mortality. I am concerned that this proposal will
effectively make it impossible to access any national forest areas in a
timely and efficient manner to treat them," said Herger. "Without adequate
roads, it is more difficult and more dangerous for fire fighters to access
and battle out-of-control fires.
"According to fire personnel, the
best and most effective way to fight fires is through a direct ground
attack," Herger explained. "When there are no roads, our fire crews cannot
gain ground access to fires. It is frightening that these roads, which can
be so vital to the preservation of life, property and the environment,
would be unnecessarily limited.
"In addition, without a
well-maintained road system, only those individuals who have the ability
to strap on a backpack and walk long distances will be able to enjoy their
forests. Millions of acres throughout our Congressional District would be
off limits to the elderly and the disabled, those who like to drive into
the forest, or who enjoy using recreational vehicles.
"President
Clinton and Vice-President Gore must realize that our forests are not
their royal domain that they can close to taxpayers with a wave of a pen
on an executive order," Herger concluded.
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