Western Governors, Forestry Leaders Create Online Information Center for Roadless Rule (2/15/06)
Western Governors, Forestry Leaders Create Online Information Center for Roadless Rule For Immediate Release Contact: Diane Denenberg DENVER - An online, one-stop clearinghouse for information on state actions related to federal roadless lands has been created by the Western Governors' Association and Western Forestry Leadership Coalition to assist governmental agencies, stakeholders and others track developments as state petitions are developed. The Web site, hosted by the Coalition, can be found at: www.wflcweb.org/roadless. While not in uniform agreement about the value of the roadless rule, the Governors believe there is value in learning from the actions of other states, and they have urged state officials to coordinate closely with neighboring states that share roadless areas. WGA and the Coalition are ideal partners in the education process for states and stakeholders as roadless petitions are developed, said Gov. Dirk Kempthorne of Idaho, a WGA lead for forest policy. This is an important initiative for the West that deserves the full attention of all citizens and interests with a stake in the future of our national forests. The final rule for roadless areas, issued in May of 2005, established a process for Governors to request the Secretary of Agriculture to change all or a portion of the management direction for roadless areas through state-specific rulemaking. Governors were given 18 months to submit their petitions. Linda Goodman, USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Regional Forester and the Coalition Chair representing the federal government, said: Coordinating this information is the perfect role for the Coalition. The result should be that everyone interested in the process will make better decisions. State Government Co-Chair and Guam Forester, David Limtiaco, believes that this is important for state forestry managers as well. Limtiaco said decisions made in this process will affect the health of neighboring, non-federal forests. Gov. Janet Napolitano, WGA Chair and lead with Kempthorne on forest issues, said although the roadless rule is being challenged in court by a number of states, it is still imperative that we share information as the petition process moves forward. The Western Governors' Association is an independent, nonprofit organization representing the governors of 18 states and three U.S.-Flag islands in the Pacific. www.westgov.org The Western Forestry Leadership Coalition is a unique state-federal partnership consisting of the 17 western State Foresters , 6 Territorial Foresters and the USDA Forest Service western Regional Foresters, Research Station, and Forest Products Lab Directors. www.WFLCweb.org # # # # #
February 15, 2006
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