Roadless Areas in Our National Forests

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Roadless Areas in Our National Forests

• By Kellen Bradham, Gio Cosentino, Paula Pereira,
  and Amy Rivers

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What are they?

• Roadless Areas are undeveloped sections of our
  National Forests
• The last of the pure and unspoiled American
  Frontier

Asheville Global Report. The Tongass National
Rainforest. 2004. Asheville, North Carolina. 4
Nov 2007. ltwww.agrnews.org/issues/259/index.htmlgt.
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Why are they important?

• They provide
• a habitat for wildlife whose other habitats have
  been destroyed including threatened and
  endangered species
• a refuge for people escaping from everyday city
  life
• unpolluted drinking water for millions of people

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How are these areas being protected?

• The Roadless Area Conservation Rule
• set aside one-third of the National Forest System
  as protected land no road building or logging
  allowed
• protects 58.5 million acres of land in 39
  different states
• The rule was designed to ensure the future of our
  last remaining forestlands!

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Who supports this rule?

• Most Americans, especially
• scientists
• religious leaders
• outdoor/recreation enthusiasts
• Even KB Home, a homebuilding company that relies
  on timber, is supportive
• It is the most petitioned rule in all of American
  history with 1.6 million comments from citizens

Asheville Global Report. Environmental Activists
Outside Hendersonville. 2001. Asheville, North
Carolina. 4 Nov 2007. ltwww.agrnews.org/issues/139/
localnews.htmlgt.
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Who does not support?

• The timber industry
• Members of the Bush Administration

Mills, Doug. George W. Bush. 2002. New York Times
Photo Archives. 4 Nov 2007. ltwww.nytstore.com/Prod
Detail.aspx?prodId1553gt.
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The Bush Administrations Position

• The Bush Administration has tried to overthrow
  the Roadless Rule since taking office.
• Under the Bush Administration, the Tongass
  rainforest in Alaska (the largest national
  rainforest) was temporality exempted from the
  rule and logging was allowed. Fifty timber sales
  are taking place from the forest.
• Bush is proposing for state governors to petition
  forest services in order to protect roadless
  areas. However, this is not effective.

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Why Cant We Leave It To the State Governors?

• This is not effective because
• governors already have the right to petition the
  forest service (and so do you!).
• The petitions by state governors would leave them
  with strict deadlines and unwanted reviews and
  analyses.
• The federal government would STILL have the right
  to accept or reject the requests.
• Local decisions dont always take the national
  scenery into consideration.

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What is the Major Risk to these Areas if they are
Developed?

• FIRE!
• Studies shows that large wildfires are more
  likely to appear in developed areas and burn
  greater distances

McColgan, John. Bitterroot National Forest Fire.
2000. Alaska Fire Service. 4 Nov 2007.
lthttp//www.missico.com/personal/tidbits/bitterroo
t_national_forest_fire.htmgt.
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Why is Fire Such a Huge Risk?

• Logging and road building increase fire risks by
• opening up the forests to sunlight and wind and
  drying out trees
• promoting the rise of flammable brush and
  undergrowth
• compacting soil which allows little infiltration
  of the water that keeps trees healthy
• introducing diseases and pests to the area
• increasing the probability of human-caused fires
• MORE ROADS MEAN MORE PEOPLE!

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Some Possible Solutions!

• Get activist groups together
• Petition the National Forest Service
• Work to raise awareness for roadless areas
• Exercise your right to voteput environmentally
  conscious presidents in office

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Interesting Facts.

• More than one-half of the national forest system
  has been roaded and developed
• Americas National Forests currently have 386,000
  miles of roads enough to circle the earth 15
  times!
• National economists say that keeping and
  designing roadless areas saves MILLIONS of
  tax-dollars

Josh. Joshua Tree National Park- Sunset into
Night. 2005. Snapscot. 4 Nov 2007.
ltwww.snapscot.com/archives/2005/02/index.htmlgt.
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Works Cited

• The National Forest Roadless Area Rule. NRDC.
  12 Dec. 2004. 4 Nov. 2007. ltwww.nrdc.org/land/fo
  rests/qroadless.aspgt.
• National Forest Roadless Areas. The Wilderness
  Society. Washington, DC. 4 Nov. 2007.
  ltwww.wilderness.org/OurIssues/Roadless/index.c fm
  gt.