Something to cheer about: Wild roadless forests protected
Aug 05, 2009
A federal court agrees with Conservation Northwest and many other conservation groups representing hundreds of thousands of people, scientists and policy makers, affirming protection for more than 50 million acres of roadless lands in the national forest system.
Roadless areas include the Abercrombie-Hooknose Roadless Area in the Columbia Highlands of northeast Washington. Photo by Eric Zamora
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals today reinstated the Roadless Area Rule, affirming protection for almost 50 million acres of wild national forests and grasslands. The successful legal challenge was brought by Earthjustice on behalf of 20 conservation groups, including Conservation Northwest, and joined with the states of California, Oregon, New Mexico, and Washington.
Today's ruling affects the nearly 2 million acres of roadless forests in Washington state, from the Olympics to the Selkirks. The 2001 Roadless Rule has, the Court emphasized, “immeasurable benefits from a conservationist standpoint.”
“Americans love the wild forests and rivers our country has been blessed with,” said Earthjustice attorney Kristen Boyles. “From campers, hunters, hikers, fishermen, and bird watchers to cities and towns that rely on clean, mountain-fed drinking water, we all stand and cheer that the Court today protected our national roadless areas.”
"It's a relief to see roadless areas finally getting the protection from development. But that protection can be illusory, a reason for wilderness designation for qualifying areas, like many int he Columbia Highlands, a wish expressed by hundreds of thousands of people. In 2009, 127 eminent scientists, four governors, 121 members of Congress, 25 Senators, and 119 outdoor recreation businesses sent letters appealing to President Obama and Agriculture Secretary Vilsack to protect and defend roadless areas.
Permanent protection comes in the form of wilderness protection or a national law protecting old-growth forests.
