 Vice-President Gore's announcement regarding the roadless area proposal threatens to "taint the balance of the rulemaking process and the final rule." |
While at a campaign stop in Milwaukee, Vice-President Al Gore pledged to prohibit logging as well as road building on 43 million acres of roadless areas in national forests. Gore's promise goes beyond a proposal the Clinton administration has made that would generally prohibit new road construction in inventoried roadless areas in 43 million acres of national forest system lands.
"If I am entrusted with the presidency, it will be a national priority to preserve these roadless areas as they are—no ifs, ands or buts about it," Gore said. "And just so I'm crystal clear about it, no new road building and no timber sales in the roadless areas of our national forests. Period."
The Clinton administration's proposal applies to unroaded areas of 5,000 or more acres. The proposal requires no congressional action, relying on regulations to be issued by the USDA Forest Service after an environmental review and public comments. A public comment period runs through July 17. The administration is expected to make a final decision in the fall.
The environmental community is largely critical of the proposal because it excludes the Tongass National Forest and does not apply to unroaded areas of less than 5,000 acres. Recreationalists, labor unions, the forest products industry, and forestry organizations believe the proposal will seriously jeopardize forest health.
Gore made his announcement at a meeting of the League of Conservation Voters, which represents the leadership of more than 40 environmental groups. In his address, Gore sided with those who contend that unless timber harvesting is specifically prohibited, harvesting by helicopter and other activities could damage the land. Gore also strongly suggested that he would extend the same rules to the Tongass.
Shortly after Gore's announcement, Sen. Frank Murkowski and Rep. Don Young, both Alaska Republicans, fired off a letter to Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman claiming that Gore's "untimely interjection at a campaign event threatens to fatally taint the balance of the rulemaking process and the final rule."
"Unfortunately, the vice-president is a bit premature in his decisionmaking since the public comment period has not closed and the public is still being asked to offer views on a broad range of alternatives," they wrote.
The Alaskans asked that Gore recuse himself—disqualify himself in writing—from any further participation in the rulemaking process.
To read SAF comments to the USDA Forest Service about the roadless area proposal, visit the SAF website at http://www.safnet.org/policy/psst/roadlesscomments.htm.
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