Gov. Gregoire asks Secretary of Agriculture to simplify state petition process to protect roadless National Forest lands

For Immediate Release: November 2, 2005

OLYMPIA -- Nov. 2, 2005 - Gov. Chris Gregoire today petitioned Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns to amend the new Roadless Rule that repealed protections enacted in 2001 for the state�s more than 2 million acres of roadless National Forest lands.

�We cherish our roadless areas as sources of clean water, critical habitat for rare, sensitive and endangered species, and as destinations for recreation and beauty. Many of our state�s leading businesses who seek to attract highly mobile employees, and much of our tourism industry, depend on the environmental quality and amenities that roadless areas and adjacent park and wilderness lands present,� said Gov. Gregoire.

�Washingtonians overwhelmingly want these lands protected, and I intend to do everything within the state�s power to see that they are.�

Gov. Gregoire�s proposal would simplify and expedite the cumbersome advisory process in the new rule. It would allow states such as Washington that simply want to reinstate the protections and exceptions contained in the 2001 rule to petition to do so and rely on the exhaustive public process and environmental impact statement completed by the Forest Service in 2001 rather than try to duplicate it. This approach would reduce administrative costs for both the state and federal agencies, and provide certainty to states that request reinstatement of the previous rule that their wishes will be honored.

During the development of the 2001 Roadless Rule, public comments from Washington residents overwhelmingly supported protection of roadless areas. Of the more than 80,000 comments received from state residents, 96 percent supported complete protection of roadless areas.

Washington State contains 9.2 million acres of National Forest land, about one-fifth of the state. Of those acres, about 2 million are inventoried roadless areas that were reserved for wilderness consideration in the state�s seven national forests. New legislation supported by Sen. Maria Cantwell and Rep. Jay Inslee would override the new rule and designate Washington�s roadless areas as wilderness.

After repeal of the 2001 Roadless Rule protections in May, current forest plans would allow about 716,000 acres to be considered for commercial logging and new roads. All roadless areas, under the new rule, would be subject to the forest planning process which is currently changing plans in three eastern Washington forests.

Gov. Gregoire said that the Forest Service is out of compliance with an agreement to fix, decommission or maintain over 22,000 miles of existing federal forest roads in Washington so that sediment does not contribute to water quality problems. Many of the current roads are not built to modern standards, but due to insufficient funding the forest service cannot meet its obligations under a Memorandum of Agreement with the Department of Ecology, another reason why building new roads in roadless areas should not be considered.

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