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Forest Service Limits New
Road Construction In Most National Forests
WASHINGTON (Feb.
11, 1999) -- Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman, joined by
Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment Jim
Lyons and Forest Service Chief Mike Dombeck, today announced
an 18-month moratorium on new road construction in unroaded
areas in most national forests, allowing for safe public
access while protecting the environment.
While the 18-month road
construction suspension is in effect, the Forest Service
will develop a long-term road policy for the National Forest
Transportation System. In addition to minimizing
environmental damage, the Forest Service will establish new
policies to guide decisions on identifying unessential
roads, recommending roads to be eliminated or maintained to
reduce environmental damage, and assessing roads that need
to be reconstructed and maintained so that they are safe and
can sustain constant public use.
"Because a road is one of
the most indelible marks man can leave on the landscape, it
is our responsibility to safeguard the often irreplaceable
ecological value of unroaded areas until a permanent policy
can protect our last great open spaces, our water and
wildlife, and the economic health of forest
communities," Glickman said. "We are therefore
calling an official time out, so we can examine the science,
involve the public and build a roads policy for the 21st
century."
"This interim policy will
allow us to protect socially important and ecologically
valuable roadless areas while we develop a protective and
responsible long-term road policy," said Dombeck.
"It’s fiscally and environmentally irresponsible to
continue to build roads in unroaded areas with our current
road system in such disrepair."
According to the new policy,
which will be published tomorrow in the Federal Register as
a final rule, all Forest Service roads will be placed in two
categories - classified and unclassified. A classified road
is at least 50 inches wide and constructed and maintained
for vehicle use. An unclassified road is considered a road
that was not constructed, maintained or intended for highway
use.
Road management is a long-term
financial commitment; once built, roads must be maintained
by the Forest Service for many years. The Forest Service
estimates the national forest road system has 383,000 miles
of classified roads and 52,000 miles of unclassified roads.
The agency projects the current backlog for maintenance and
reconstruction of existing roads is $8.4 billion. It only
receives 18 percent of the funding needed to annually
maintain roads to federal safety and environmental
standards.
"I commend Jim Lyons, Mike
Dombeck and the Forest Service for the leadership role they
have taken in implementing this temporary halt to road
construction," Glickman said. "This process will
provide the agency and public an opportunity to work
together in finding a solution to this urgent problem."
The 18-month rule will affect
unroaded areas - portions of the National Forest System that
do not contain classified roads. It also affects those areas
as listed below:
* All remaining roadless
portions of Roadless Area Review and Evaluation II (RARE
II) areas and forest plan inventoried areas that lie
1/4-mile or more beyond any classified road.
* A National Forest System
area that is more than 1,000 acres unroaded and
contiguous to a remaining roadless portion of RARE II
areas or Forest Plan inventoried areas.
* All roadless areas
identified in the Southern Appalachian Assessment.
* National Forest System
lands of 1,000 acres or more unroaded and contiguous to
wild segments of the Wild and Scenic River System.
* National Forest System
lands of 1,000 acres unroaded and contiguous to other
federal roadless areas of 5,000 acres or more.
Areas exempt from this rule
include the following:
* National forests with
forest plans that have been revised since January 1,
1996 and have completed the appeal process.
* Those forests with
revised forest plans that are under administrative
appeal or revised during the period of the interim rule.
* Those forests with plan
revisions or amendments resulting from multi-federal
agency coordination using a science-based, eco-regional
assessment.
* Road construction for
public safety.
* Those areas where road
access is necessary to ensure access by statute, treaty,
or reserved to outstanding private right
* Those areas where road
access is necessary to save life or property because of
flood, fire,
or other catastrophic
event.
The decision, which goes into
effect in 15 days, is the outcome of the Forest Service
analysis of the public comments and hearings it received and
conducted on a proposal made last year.
Release No. 0054.99
Andrew Kauders: (202) 720-4623
Forest Service Media Desk: (202) 205-1134
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