As millions of Americans prepare to spend their Memorial Day weekend in our national forests and the rivers that flow through them, Congress has united in a bi-partisan effort to protect those areas for future generations. More than 140 House Democrats and Republicans introduced legislation yesterday that would provide permanent protection for 58.5 million acres of pristine forest land in 39 states. This would include 9.3 million acres of North America’s only coastal temperate rainforest – Alaska’s Tongass National Forest. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and John Warner (R-VA), along with 16 of their colleagues, introduced a companion bill in the U.S. Senate.
The legislation is intended to finally turn the landmark 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule into law. The rule was approved in January 2001 following years of scientific study, more than 600 public hearings across the country, and 1.6 million official public comments. Ongoing legal battles continue to threaten the fate of the 2001 Roadless Rule and the lands it protects, which are critical to wildlife, backcountry recreation, and downstream water quality.
The legislation would protect our remaining roadless US Forest Service lands from most logging and road-building, however the rule allows new roads to be constructed in order to fight fires and ensure public health and safety.
The National Forest System contains over 380,000 miles of roads and 60,000 miles of unmapped logging roads, enough to circle the globe 17 times. Only 21 percent of these roads meet adequate road maintenance standards. The current road maintenance backlog is estimated at $10 billion, with 16 states maintaining a backlog of $100 million each.
American Whitewater has consistently supported the protection of roadless lands. The legislation would not lead to the closure of any existing roads. It would only prevent new roads from being built in the few remaining special places in our nation that are currently roadless. Protecting these wild places from road building is critical to protecting the wild rivers that flow though them – and the unique experience of paddling them. American Whitewater is working with our partners in the Outdoor Alliance to promote roadless protections – and the management of existing roads in a responsible manner that protects rivers and public access to recreational opportunities.
Your help is needed. Both the House and Senate legislation need more congressional support. Write your representative at http://www.house.gov/writerep/, and/or your senator at http://www.senate.gov/. American Lands has a good letter writing tool that you can also use to send a letter to your Representative (http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizations/americanlandsalliance/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=11687&t=default.dwt) or Senator (http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizations/americanlandsalliance/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=11689&t=default.dwt). Please be sure to modify the letter significantly, and indicate that you support roadless protections from the perspective of someone who appreciates the value of clean rivers – and wild rivers. Please state that you support the National Forest Roadless Area Conservation Act of 2007.