A new Congressional effort is underway to restrict construction of roads on nearly 60 million acres of national forest land. More than 170 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, including five members of the Pennsylvania delegation, have introduced legislation that would protect wilderness areas from development. Brad Linder has more.
Roadless Rules
A Congressional effort is underway to strengthen national roadless area conservation rules.
June 7, 2002
Pennsylvania has only one national forest. And only a tiny portion of the Allegheny National Forest would be designated "roadless" under the legislation. But at stake are nearly 60 million acres of land throughout the country.

One of President Bill Clinton's last acts in office was the establishment of a rule that would restrict construction of roads in designated wilderness areas of the forest system. But the Bush administration has yet to adopt the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, and legal challenges by timber and off-road vehicle groups have further delayed its implementation.

If passed, the bill introduced in the House last week would push forward adoption of the roadless rule. Three Pennsylvania Democrats and two Pennsylvania Republicans are among the 174 co-sponsors of the legislation.

National Forest Roadless Area Conservation Act Sponosors
A PDF list of the 174 original co-sponsors of the House bill.

Heritage Forests Campaign
A group working to protect forestlands from development.

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