Great Lakes Article:

Action Alert- Protect Our Forests
May 8, 2002

Please join the Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness and the American Lands Alliance Upper Midwest in urging the MN Congressional delegation to stand up for its constituents and the rest of the American public by demanding that the Bush administration keep its promise to uphold one of the most significant forest conservation policies in decades, the Roadless Area Conservation Rule.

Issued in January 2001 after the most extensive public rulemaking in history, this landmark rule protects 58.5 million acres of wild national forest land from most logging, mining, and drilling.

This is an especially urgent issue right now given recent actions taken behind the scenes by the administration that run contrary to this pledge, undermine the rule, and pose a serious threat to our last wild national forests.

More than 2.2 million Americans have already told the Forest Service that they support the Roadless Area Conservation Rule to protect our last wild national forests.  But the Bush administration is apparently listening to special interests and not to the American people.

It is time for our Congressional representatives to stand up for the public and insist that our last wild public forests be protected.  Forever.

Please sign your organization onto the letter at the bottom of this email by sending an email TODAY to:

Sarah Strommen

Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness

sarah@friends-bwca.org or call her at  (612) 332-9630

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Dear Minnesota Congressional Delegation:

We urge you to call upon the Bush administration to keep its promise to uphold one of the most significant forest conservation policies in decades, the Roadless Area Conservation Rule.  Issued in January 2001 after the most extensive public rulemaking in history, this landmark rule protects 58.5 million acres of wild national forest land from logging, mining, and drilling.  In Minnesota, the rule protects 62,000 acres of the Superior National Forest.  Most of these acres adjoin the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

The Roadless Area Conservation Rule is the result of significant scientific study, over 600 public meetings, and an unprecedented number of comments from the American people.  In Minnesota alone, the rule has received more than 31,338 favorable comments, and minimal opposition. The rule also has bipartisan support from Congress, scientific and faith-based communities, and editorial boards from around the nation.  Rarely has the nation been so unified in support of a landmark conservation measure.

Among the benefits of this popular conservation policy are clean drinking water for 60 million Americans; protection of critical habitat for more than 1,600 threatened wildlife species; and unlimited recreation for hikers, hunters, and anglers.  This fair and balanced plan also allows road construction to fight fire, protect forest health, and allow access to state and private lands.

In Minnesota, this forest conservation policy is designed to protect critical areas in the Superior National Forest (SNF) which has six inventoried roadless areas, the largest of which are adjacent to and buffering the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. These areas are made up of primarily coniferous species mostly containing old growth and potential old growth characteristics. They provide the public with large patches of old forest, old growth forest, rare species habitat, and representative natural communities. There are small patches of white pine ­ which is a species at great risk in the Northwoods ­ existing in these areas and it is extremely important to protect this seed source.

Last May, under pressure from Congress and the public, the Bush administration pledged to uphold the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, promising only minor changes.  In recent months, however, special interests working with their allies in the Bush administration have moved to significantly weaken the national forest protections provided by the rule through obscure bureaucratic maneuvers.  As a result, more than a dozen of America¹s most magnificent national forests are now excluded from protection ­ including Alaska¹s Tongass National Forest.

More than 2.2 million Americans have already told the Forest Service that they support the Roadless Area Conservation Rule to protect our last wild national forests.  But the Bush administration is apparently listening to special interests and not to the American people.  It is time to for the Bush administration to keep its word, listen to the public, and protect our national forests.  Because once they’re gone, they’re gone forever.

Sincerely,