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Recreation group hails decision to permanently enjoin Clinton roadless plan
7/15/03 POCATELLO, ID -- The BlueRibbon Coalition, a national public lands access group, cheered U.S. District Judge Clarence Brimmer’s recent decision to permanently enjoin the Clinton-era Roadless Rule.
BlueRibbon and other recreationists have long cautioned that the original rule would have prevented important maintenance of existing forest roads and trails on over 58 million acres of National Forest System lands. Many felt the rule was also a back-door attempt by the Clinton administration to bypass Congressional authority and give the executive branch power to “create” new de facto Wilderness areas.
Don Amador, western representative for the BlueRibbon Coalition, said, “I think judge Brimmer’s decision to ice the Clinton roadless program clearly validates many of our complaints that the rule had a predetermined outcome and violated NEPA.”
Added BlueRibbon Public Lands Director Bill Dart, “The creators and supporters of the Roadless Rule spent millions of dollars soliciting favorable comments to the Rule, and we are particularly glad the Court saw through this ill-conceived attempt to turn NEPA into a voting process.”
“By denying cooperating agency status to the western states most affected by the rule, the Clinton administration effectively doomed this plan from ever seeing the light of day. I’m glad the court decided this case in favor of fairness and public access,” Amador concludes.
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The BlueRibbon Coalition is a national non-profit recreation group that champions responsible use of public lands. It represents over 1,100 organizations and businesses with approximately 650,000 members. BLUERIBBON COALITION, INC.
Contact: Bill Dart 208.237.1008 Don Amador 925.625.6287 |