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MARCH 21, 2001

A federal judge in Idaho on Tuesday rejected an attempt by the Department of Justice to delay a hearing challenging the US Forest Service's controversial roadless forest initiative.

Justice is charged with defending the laws and the action was seen as an attempt to stall implementation. But Justice had also proposed suspending the laws to settle a separate legal challenge raised by the state of Idaho.

The rules were finalized in January under former President Clinton and limit road construction on nearly 60 million acres of forest land all over the country. A number of Republican lawmakers, Western Governors, and tribes -- including the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho whose joint lawsuit the government sought to delay -- oppose them.

Get the Story:
Judge rejects Bush request for delay in hearing on forest plan (AP 3/20)

Relevant Links:
Roadless Forest Plan - roadless.fs.fed.us

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Controversial forest plan delayed (Enviro 02/06)
Cantwell questions Ashcroft (Politics 1/18)
Tribe sues over forest plan (Enviro 01/09)
Roadless forest plan draws fire (Enviro 01/08)