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Senator Murkowski Applauds Administration's Final Roadless Rule

Date: May 9, 2005
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Transportation Environment


SENATOR MURKOWSKI APPLAUDS ADMINISTRATION'S FINAL ROADLESS RULE

Sen. Lisa Murkowski said the Final Roadless Rule announced by the Forest Service today correctly takes into account the need of local communities in the management of federal roadless lands.

"We have long worked to make sure that the needs and realities of local communities and economies are taken into account as federal lands are managed," Sen. Murkowski said. "Today's announcement sets forth a formal practice to make sure that as far as roadless areas are considered, those needs are met."

The new roadless rule invites input from governors of states with inventoried roadless areas in national forests and takes into account the Forest Service's five conservation principles for inventoried roadless areas.

Today's announced rules allows governors to petition the secretary of agriculture to develop regulations to manage roadless areas that meet the specific needs within each state. The U.S. Department of Agriculture will accept state petitions from governors for 18 months after the effective date of the final rule. During the state-petitioning process, the Forest Service will continue to maintain interim measures to conserve inventoried roadless areas.

Upon acceptance of a state petition, the Forest Service will work with each state to create state-specific rules that addresses the management requirements set forth in the petition. The state-specific rulemaking process will include any required National Environmental Policy Act analysis and invite public input during a notice and comment period.

97 percent, of all inventoried roadless areas in the country are contained within 12 states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

"In Alaska where so much of our land is federally controlled, local input on the use and management of those lands is critical to a community's success. I applaud the Administration for setting out a policy where the people of each state can be heard," Murkowski said.

http://murkowski.senate.gov/pressapp/record.cfm?id=237318

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