Letter: Roadless rule has broad support

Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2004 | 9:06 a.m.

The Bush administration recently extended the comment period on its controversial proposal to repeal the widely popular Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which protects almost 60 million acres of pristine National Forests in America, including over 3 million acres in Nevada. The Roadless rule protects these pristine wild lands from destructive road building, mining, logging and drilling, while allowing road construction to fight fires and thin forests to protect public safety.

To date, more than 3.5 million Americans have called on the Bush administration to abandon its attempt to repeal the Roadless Rule, setting a record for the most comments ever received. With 60 days left in the comment period, we can expect comments supporting roadless forests to continue to pour in.

It is clear that Americans overwhelmingly support roadless National Forests. Americans have always supported protecting wild places, and I hope that this latest outpouring from the public convinces the Bush administration to reverse course and protect our wild National Forests for future generations.

BRAD JOHNSON

Editor's note: Brad Johnson is the Phoenix-based Western Field Associate for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group.