Copyright 2000 The Omaha World-Herald Company
Omaha
World-Herald
May 29, 2000, Monday SUNRISE EDITION
SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 11;
LENGTH: 520 words
HEADLINE:
Forester Rejects Alarm Over Plan A federal proposal for more roadless
areas won't affect Nebraska forests, an official says
BYLINE: DAVID HENDEE
SOURCE:
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
BODY:
Cheri Bashor
expects confusion and questions Tuesday when the Nebraska National Forest hosts
an informational meeting in Chadron about federal proposals for new and expanded
roadless areas in national forests. Despite a map on the U.S.
Forest Service's Web site that indicates Nebraska has 140,000 acres of
inventoried roadless areas in its national forest system, there
actually are no federal forest lands in the state that would qualify under
President Clinton's roadless initiative. "The words 'roadless
area' set off alarms," said Bashor, a resources staff officer for the
Nebraska National Forest in Chadron. "We'll just try to clarify what is, what
isn't and answer questions." Bashor said the short answer for people is that the
plan will have no impact on Nebraska forest land used for grazing, hunting and
recreation. Clinton's proposal calls for prohibiting new roads in 43 million
acres of roadless national forests. The plan also would leave it up to local
foresters to decide whether roads should be banned in forest parcels of 5,000
acres or less. Much of the public anxiety in western Nebraska over the roadless
plan can be traced to Clinton announcing it about the same time Nebraska
National Forest officials were taking public comments on their own updated
forest plans, said Bob Sprentall, the leader of the Forest Service team drafting
the new management plan. The issues are similar and include an analysis of
whether there are any true roadless areas in the northern Great
Plains region. Current standards call for Forest Service planners to look at the
number of roads and developments, such as fences and windmills, within
5,000-acre tracts. Three or more developments in an area prohibit it from a
roadless designation because roads are needed to reach the sites, Sprentall
said. If Clinton's proposal to designate smaller areas as roadless is approved,
forest officials in Nebraska and other states will need to do their roadless
studies and amend their management plans to be in compliance. Nebraska has
352,000 acres of national forests and grasslands. They include units of the
Nebraska National Forest near Halsey and Chadron, the Samuel R. McKelvie
National Forest near Valentine and the Oglala National Grassland near Crawford.
Part of the McKelvie National Forest is wrongly labeled as a roadless area on
the Forest Service's Web site. "It's a mistake we're trying to correct," Bashor
said. "It takes time to get it changed because we have to go through the
Washington office." Forest Service officials say they are making an
unprecedented effort for the public to be heard on the roadless initiative. In
addition to 300 meetings across the country - two for every national forest -
the plan is posted on the Internet and copies are available at public libraries
and government offices. Nebraska's informational meeting is from 5 p.m. to 8
p.m. Tuesday at Chadron's Country Kitchen Restaurant. A second meeting to
receive formal public comments on the proposal will be from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
June 20 at the same restaurant. The deadline for comments is July 17.
LOAD-DATE: May 30, 2000 
