The Bush administration released the final version of the roadless forest rule on Thursday, giving more power to state governors in the process.

The U.S. Forest Service is giving state governors 18 months to make recommendations on which roadless areas of national forests will be protected. The rule assumes the state will consult tribes and local governments during this time but does not specifically give tribes a role.

After the 18 months, the agency will work with the state to come up with a specific management plan. The plan would presumably say whether logging, road-building, mining or other activities will occur on 58.5 million acres of national forest lands.

The rule comes in response to a lawsuit filed by the state of Idaho that challenged the rule. The Kootenai Tribe of Idaho and the timber industry in that state also had sued over the rule.

Elsewhere, many tribes -- particularly those in the Pacific Northwest -- supported the original roadless forest rule that was released at the end of the Clinton administration. They said it would protect sacred sites and lands used for fishing and hunting under treaties.

Get the Story:
U.S. to Open Remote Forests To Logging (AP 5/6)
pwpwd
Roadless rules rolled back (The Billings Gazette 5/6)
Roadless forest rule repealed (The Great Falls Tribune 5/6)
Untouched national forests lose Clinton-era protections (The Seattle Times 5/6)
Forest roadless rule reversed (The Denver Post 5/6)
Bush lifts road ban in forests (The Arizona Republic 5/6)
Bush Administration Rolls Back Rule on Building Forest Roads (The New York Times 5/6)
pwnyt

USDA Documents:
Final Rule | Press Release

Relevant Links:
Roadless Area Conservation - http://roadless.fs.fed.us

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Court overturns tribe's injunction on rules (12/13)
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