Markey Says It's "End of Road" for Challenges to Roadless Rule

WASHINGTON (October 21, 2011) - Following the decision by the U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold the Clinton-era Roadless Area Conservation Rule that protects 49 million acres of forest, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), the top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee, which has jurisdiction over forest policy, issued the following statement:

"This decision by the courts should be the end of the road for those trying to pave some of the last remaining roadless forests in America.

"The Clinton roadless rule is a reasonable, popular approach to balancing competing uses of our national forests. Those opposing this rule went to the mat to defend their claim that a forest road system covering more than 380,000 miles that is eight times the size of the federal highway system was just not enough. This rule protects the remaining 49 million acres out of 191 million that are not already criss-crossed by roads.

"This rule was the product of more than one million public comments, 430 public meetings attended by more than 23,000 Americans.

"As fire, bug infestation and climate change threaten the health of our forests, the road to recovery starts with fewer roads through the forest."

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