By BART JANSEN Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - Western Republican senators criticized President Clinton's directive to protect 50 million acres of roadless forests without congressional approval as a ``flimflam game'' that would prohibit logging or recreation by anyone but hikers.

Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman defended the administration's proposed regulations, denying that it would block logging on Forest Service land or recreational access.

About 35 million acres of wilderness is designated across the country. Clinton signed an executive order last month calling for regulations to put another 40 million roadless acres off-limits to development, which environmentalists praised as rivaling creation of the national forest system. The land considered for more protection actually totals about 50 million acres, administration officials told lawmakers.

Senators argued that the agency's efforts to protect undeveloped land would more than double the country's wilderness without congressional approval required for formal wilderness designation.

``From Day One of this administration, a war of politics, rhetoric and administrative actions has been waged on the West,'' said Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., who pounded the table at one point. ``We're talking about a flimflam game.''

Sen. Slade Gorton, R-Wash., said the proposal would hurt recreational opportunities for snowmobilers, mountain bikers, and off-road motorcyclists. He said it would also hurt communities losing the timber industry without replacing those jobs.

``You can't blame them for feeling like they've been socked in the gut, only to be kicked in the head,'' he said.

Glickman, a former Democratic congressman from Kansas who oversees the Forest Service, denied trying to circumvent Congress to protect the land. Agency officials will hold hearings in the next year near every forest where roadless areas considered for greater protection, he said.

``Indeed, the department's proposal does not shut down the timber program and it is far from being a back door to advocate zero harvesting on our national forests, which would be a very serious mistake,'' he said.

Roads open forests to development, erosion and pollution. They also disrupt wildlife, plant life and natural systems. But roadless federal land also contains some of the most desirable timber owned by the Forest Service.

Administration officials, however, said only 5 percent of the country's timber comes from national forests and only 5 percent of that comes from roadless areas so that the timber industry would not suffer.

Sen. Frank Murkowski, R-Alaska, chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, accused Clinton of failing to understand how to protect roadless areas. He said Clinton hasn't proposed one acre for wilderness designation during seven years in office.

Republicans also said Clinton's proposal would restrict access to national forests. Only 2 percent of the 859 million visits to national forests last year were to wilderness areas, lawmakers said.

``Robin Hood and his gang enjoyed greater freedom in Sherwood Forest than our citizens will have on their own lands under this particular proposal,'' said Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah.

Glickman denied trying to restrict access to the land. The regulations, which are expected in fall 2000, could range from wilderness prohibitions against any development or vehicles to allowing snowmobiles and dune buggies in some areas, said Mike Dombeck, forest service chief.

``This is not a study of wilderness potential,'' Dombeck said.