fyi ... sorry about any cross-postings. -tasha walston >****************************** >* WILD ALERT >* Wednesday, October 13, 1999 >****************************** >**This is a special update--a regular WildAlert will be sent tomorrow.** > >Dear WildAlert Subscriber, > >In a move hailed by conservationists, President Clinton today issued a >directive to the Secretary of Agriculture to protect more than 40 million >acres of roadless areas on National Forests. Speaking from the George >Washington National Forest in Virginia, the President issued a memorandum >instructing the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to issue regulations that would >protect roadless areas on National Forests. Read more information and send >a thank you to the President at >http://www.wilderness.org/standbylands/forests/roadless_act.htm > >"A TREASURED INHERITANCE" >Roadless areas "are a treasured inheritance, enduring remnants of an >untrammeled wilderness that once stretched from ocean to ocean," said >Clinton in his memorandum. "Accordingly," he continued, "I have determined >that it is in the best interest of our Nation, and of future generations, >to provide strong and lasting protection for these forests." > >Without protection, all remaining roadless areas -- equal to only 30% of >USFS lands -- could be lost to development, including road-building, >logging, mining, and oil and gas drilling. > >"By staking a claim of accountability for sound, long-term management of >our natural resources, the President is acting in the best interest of our >environment and the American people," said Bill Meadows, president of The >Wilderness Society. "This critical decision reflects strong public support >for President Clinton to increase protection of our remaining wild lands, >now and for future generations." A recent poll indicates that fully 70% of >Americans favor a ban on oil drilling, logging, and mining in national >forest roadless areas. > >A BROAD DIRECTIVE >President Clinton not only directed the Forest Service to protect >inventoried roadless areas, but also "to determine whether such protection >is warranted for any smaller "roadless" areas not yet inventoried." > >EFFECTS ON TIMBER INDUSTRY >In 1997, timber harvested from National Forests accounted for only 3.5% of >all timber cut in the U.S., according to the USFS. Only about 5% of that >figure would be affected by protecting roadless areas, according to a USFS >Environmental Assessment in January 1999. > >TAKE ACTION and MORE INFORMATION >Please take a minute to thank the President for this bold move. You can >send a message from >http://www.wilderness.org/standbylands/forests/roadless_act.htm, or: > >E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Phone: (202) 456-1414; Fax: (202) 456-2461 > >You can also find more information at >http://www.wilderness.org/standbylands/forests/roadless_act.htm > - Full text of President's directive (also reprinted below) > - Examples of roadless areas that would be protected > - Chronology of National Forest policies > - Wilderness Society press statement > - Poll results showing public support for roadless area protection > >*************************************************************** >FULL TEXT OF PRESIDENT CLINTON'S MEMORANDUM ON ROADLESS AREAS >____________________________________________________ >THE WHITE HOUSE >Office of the Press Secretary >_____________________________________________________ > >For Immediate Release >October 13, 1999 > >MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE > >SUBJECT: Protection of Forest "Roadless" Areas > >At the start of this century, President Theodore Roosevelt dedicated this >Nation to the conservation of natural resources -- our land, our water, our >wildlife, and all the other precious gifts nature had bestowed upon us. >One of America's great central tasks, he declared, is "leaving this land >even a better land for our descendants than it is for us." > >In pursuit of that goal, President Roosevelt established new protections >for millions upon millions of acres across America. His remarkable legacy >includes 5 national parks, 18 national monuments, and dozens of wildlife >refuges. Among his most notable conservation achievements were the >consolidation of 65 million acres of Federal forest reserves into the >National Forest System, and the creation of the United States Forest >Service to ensure wise stewardship of these lands for future generations. >In this effort, he was guided by Gifford Pinchot, the first Chief of the >Forest Service and a founder of America's conservation movement. > >Today, the National Forest System has grown to 192 million acres of forests >and grasslands in 46 States and territories. These lands provide a broad >array of benefits to the American people. They support rural industries, >sustain fish and wild-life, generate drinking water for 60 million >Americans, and provide important recreation opportunities to an >increasingly urban population. > >Over the years, unfortunately, our Nation has not always honored President >Roosevelt's vision. Too often, we have favored resource extraction over >conservation, degrading our forests and the critical natural values they >sustain. As the consequences of these actions have become more apparent, >the American people have expressed growing concern and have called on us to >restore balance to their forests. > >My Administration has made significant strides in improving the management >of our Federal forestlands. Beginning with the adoption of a >comprehensive, science-based forest plan for the Pacific Northwest, we have >sought to strengthen protections for wildlife, water quality, and other >vital ecological values, while ensuring a steady, sustainable supply of >timber and other commodities to support stable rural economies. The new >forest planning regulation proposed last month represents another major >step in that direction. > >It is time now, I believe, to address our next challenge -- the fate of >those lands within the National Forest System that remain largely untouched >by human intervention. A principal defining characteristic of these lands >is that they do not have, and in most cases never have had, roads across >them. We know from earlier inventories that there are more than 40 million >acres of "roadless" area within the National Forest System, generally in >parcels of 5,000 acres or more. A temporary moratorium on road building in >most of these areas has allowed us time to assess their ecological, >economic, and social values and to evaluate long-term options for their >management. > >In weighing the future of these lands, we are presented with a unique >historic opportunity. From the Appalachian Mountains to the Sierra Nevada, >these are some of the last, best unpro-tected wildlands in America. They >are vital havens for wildlife -- indeed, some are absolutely critical to >the survival of endangered species. They are a source of clean, fresh water >for countless communities. They offer unparalleled opportunities for >hikers, campers, hunters, anglers, and others to experience unspoiled >nature. In short, these lands bestow upon us unique and irreplaceable >benefits. They are a treasured inheritance - enduring remnants of an >untrammeled wilderness that once stretched from ocean to ocean. > >Accordingly, I have determined that it is in the best interest of our >Nation, and of future generations, to provide strong and lasting protection >for these forests, and I am directing you to initiate administrative >proceedings to that end. > >Specifically, I direct the Forest Service to develop, and propose for >public comment, regulations to provide appro-priate long-term protection >for most or all of these currently inventoried "roadless" areas, and to >determine whether such protection is warranted for any smaller "roadless" >areas not yet inventoried. The public, and all interested parties, should >have the opportunity to review and comment on the proposed regulations. In >the final regulations, the nature and degree of protections afforded should >reflect the best available science and a careful consideration of the full >range of ecological, economic, and social values inherent in these lands. > >I commend you, along with the Undersecretary for Natural Resources and the >Environment, Jim Lyons, the Chief of the Forest Service, Michael Dombeck, >and the entire Forest Service for your leadership in strengthening and >modernizing the management of our Federal forests -- lands held by us in >trust for all Americans and for future generations. With the new effort we >launch today, we can feel confident that we have helped to fulfill and >extend the conservation legacy of Theodore Roosevelt and Gifford Pinchot, >and to ensure that the 21st century is indeed a new century for America's >forests. > >WILLIAM J. CLINTON ># # # > >*************************************************************** >For a full list of Action Items, visit >http://www.wilderness.org/whatcan/takeaction.htm > >*************************************************************** >An archive of past WildAlerts can be found at >http://www.wilderness.org/wildalert/wildalerts.htm > >*************************************************************** >WildAlert is an email action alert system brought to you by The Wilderness >Society to keep you apprised of threats to our wildlands -- in the field >and in Washington. WildAlert messages include updates along with clear, >concise actions you can take to protect America's last wild places. You >are welcome to forward WildAlerts to all those interested in saving >America's wildlands. > >FEEDBACK: Please send your comments to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. If you simply hit >"reply" to this message, please include your email address in the body of >the message. > >TO SUBSCRIBE: If you have been forwarded this message and would like to >subscribe to the list, send the following message to ><[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: "subscribe wilderness-alert" (inserted in the >body of the message, without quotes). > >TO UNSUBSCRIBE: If you wish to be removed from this list, see the >instructions at the end of this message. > >Founded in 1935, The Wilderness Society works to protect America's >wilderness and to develop a nation-wide network of wild lands through >public education, scientific analysis and advocacy. Our goal is to ensure >that future generations will enjoy the clean air and water, wildlife, >beauty and opportunities for recreation and renewal that pristine forests, >rivers, deserts and mountains provide. To take action on behalf of >wildlands today, visit our website at http://www.wilderness.org >*************************************************************** > >--- >You are currently subscribed to wilderness-alert as: [[EMAIL PROTECTED]] >To unsubscribe, forward this message to >[EMAIL PROTECTED] Dr. Barbara E. Kurtz Professor of Spanish Illinois State University Normal, IL 61790-4300 mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lilt.ilstu.edu/bekurtz/ ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
