December 23, 2002: Rule Change Proposed for Roadless Forests

The Bush administration quietly announces plans to create a federal rule giving state governors increased control over the national forests in their states by allowing them to apply to the federal government for exemptions from the Roadless Area Conservation Rule on a case-by-case basis. The Roadless Rule, introduced by Clinton in January 2001, banned the construction of roads in 58. 5 million acres, or nearly one-third, of the nation’s forests. The federal rule proposal will not be formally announced until July 13, 2004 (see July 12, 2004) [Wilderness Society, n.d.; Sierra Club, 4/28/2004]