House Votes to Support Roads Moratorium 
     During the Smith Forest Health bill debate, Rep. Smith offered
an amendment to allow roadbuilding in roadless areas because his
compromise bill had prohibited the construction of permanent roads. 
This prompted Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) to offer a substitute
amendment that would prohibit all new road construction (to cover
temporary roads) under both Smith's bill or any proposed Federal
policy, effectively legislating the Administration's proposed
moratorium.  After a heated debate about logging roads that saw
western Republicans branding Rep. Boehlert an "extremist," the
amendment passed 200-187 indicating that there is support in the House
for the proposed roadbuilding moratorium and roadless area protection
in general.  Several Members who voted against the Smith bill
including Reps. Norm Dicks (D-WA), Gary Condit (D-CA), Tom
Campbell (R-CA) and James Rogan (R-CA) also voted against the
Boehlert amendment.

Moratorium Rule Out in July or August
     The comment deadline for the roadbuilding moratorium and the
long-term roads policy expired on March 30.  The agency has indicated
it will take at least 30-45 days to analyze the tens of thousands of
comments received and issue a final rule.  Thanks to everyone who
participated in the 25 open houses around the nation and for submitting
your comments. When the rule is published in the Federal Register the
moratorium will take effect for 18-months.  The Forest Service says
that next year the proposal will delay 102 timber sales totaling 100
million board feet, about 3% of the total timber sales program.  

Congress Fighting Over Roads  
     The battle over the Forest Service's proposed roadbuilding
moratorium heated up in March with oversight hearings in both the
House and Senate.  The day following a day-long grilling of Chief
Dombeck, anti-moratorium Representatives filed a bill, H.R. 3297, that
would delay or prevent implementation of the proposal.  But other
lawmakers have called for expanding the moratorium.  An official
comment letter to the Forest Service from Reps. David Skaggs (D-CO)
and Diane DeGette (D-CO) states, "We would prefer that the
moratorium apply to all of Colorado's National Forests...it is very
important that any exemptions not preclude appropriate steps to protect
roadless areas."

     Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID) attached a rider to the
Supplemental Appropriations bill  to hinder the proposed roads
moratorium that was signed by the President.  The rider allows the
Chief of the Forest Service to exempt timber sales from the
moratorium, directs the Chief to find replacement volume for sales
that are stopped "to the extent practicable," and ensures that
counties would be unaffected by reduced timber receipts.