-Caveat Lector-
People don't like
roadless forests
New survey on Clinton plan
for wilderness protectionism
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/bluesky_exnews/19991021_xex_people_dont_.shtml
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By Stephan Archer
� 1999 WorldNetDaily.com
A recent poll taken by a non-profit organization shows a majority of
respondents oppose the Clinton administration's recent proposal to set aside
40 million acres to be designated as "roadless" area, contradicting earlier
data gathered by the Mellman Group, which indicated a majority of the public
would support the White House proposal.
The Paragon Foundation, a public education, constitutional rights
organization in Alamogordo, N.M., conducted its poll to "give the average
rank-and-file American a chance to vote." The poll was conducted by
publishing a questionnaire nationwide in newspapers, magazines and on the
Internet. Respondents either clipped out the survey and mailed it to the
foundation or participated in the poll via the group's website.
In the counting process, which was open to the public and conducted by
volunteers, 2,229 people responded to the Paragon Poll. Jay Walley, public
relations director for the foundation, said the poll had a margin of error
of plus or minus 2 percent.
In the poll, an overwhelming 68 percent of the respondents said protecting
jobs, communities and industries that depend on public lands was more
important than protecting land from commercial use. Thirty percent thought
public lands should be protected from commercial use while two percent were
undecided.
Another 68 percent thought that building roads on public lands should be
allowed while 67 percent thought the United States had enough protected
wilderness. Only 27 percent and 30 percent said "no" to both questions
respectively with a small contingency being undecided.
These survey results sharply contradict the earlier Mellman poll paid for by
the Pew Charitable Trust and commissioned by the Heritage Forests Campaign,
The Wilderness Society and The National Audubon Society. In the Mellman
poll, 63 percent of the respondents thought not enough of the nation's
forests were protected, and 74 percent of them would support a plan that
would not exempt any national forests from a roadless protection policy.
The Wilderness society noted that the Mellman poll, conducted in June of
this year, was an important factor in persuading the Clinton administration
to announce the roadless area plan last Wednesday while speaking before an
audience in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest in Virginia.
Explaining his roadless protection policy to his listeners, Clinton had
said, "Through this action, we will protect more than 40 million acres, 20
percent of the total forest land in America in the national forests from
activities, such as new road construction, which would degrade the land."
During the speech, Clinton boasted that his administration has now protected
more land than any other administration in the history of the country except
those of Franklin and Theodore Roosevelt. He also took the opportunity to
announce a second proposal -- a $1 billion Lands Legacy Initiative, which
would guarantee permanent funding over the years for continued protection
and restoration of public lands throughout the nation.
Although 40 million acres could be set aside as "roadless" areas, George
Frampton, chairman of the President's Council on Environmental Quality, said
the day after Clinton's announcement that a potential "50 or 55 million
acres of roadless area on the national forests nationwide could be
protected."
Although admitting that his foundation's poll was timely, Walley said the
poll was not planned.
"We did not know at the time that Clinton was going to announce his roadless
area plan," Walley said. "It just so happened we were compiling our results
when that statement came out, so it was just a really timely situation."
Walley told WorldNetDaily his group wanted to do the poll because it
believes those working in the resource-based industries weren't well
represented in the Mellman poll. The group also did the poll, Walley said,
because, in the foundation's view, the Mellman poll was flawed.
"We considered the poll flawed because of the fact of who paid for it,"
Mellman said.
Even though Walley said the foundation's poll was not a response to the
president's proposal but rather a response to the Mellman poll, a timely
question regarding Clinton's proposal was asked.
"Would you favor a proposal that permanently protects all roadless areas of
1,000 acres or greater on public lands?" asked one of the poll's questions.
Only 29 percent of the respondents said "yes" to this question, while 69
percent said "no."
Other questions asked in the Paragon poll were related to the possibility of
prohibitions in wilderness areas including use of off-road vehicles, oil and
mineral exploration, logging, and livestock grazing. For each question,
respondents decisively opposed any prohibition in public wilderness areas.
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