Press Room

Press Release

For Immediate Release
May 5, 2005

FRWG Disappointed In New Roadless Rule but Supporting New Advisory Committee and Urging Maximum Public Involvement

TRCP Sponsored Forest Roads Working Group

Wildlife Forever
Wildlife Management Institute
The Wildlife Society
Trout Unlimited
Izaak Walton League of America
Outdoor Industry Association

Contacts:

Chairman - James D. Range, (202) 508-3400
Wildlife Forever - Douglas H. Grann, (763) 253-0222
Wildlife Management Institute - Steve Williams, (202) 371-1808
The Wildlife Society - Tom Franklin, (301) 897-9770
Trout Unlimited - Chris Wood, (703) 284-9403
Izaak Walton League of America - Paul Hansen, (301) 548-0150 ext. 221
Outdoor Industry Association - Myrna Johnson, (303) 444-3353 ext. 203

Washington DC - The Forest Roads Working Group (FRWG) reiterated its concerns with the new rule for managing roadless areas in National Forests and Grasslands officially adopted today by the United States Forest Service (USFS), particularly regarding western forests. The FRWG believes the new rule falls short of fully protecting roadless areas and the exceptional fish, wildlife, water and wild outdoor recreational values they represent, because it does not provide adequate certainty and stability in establishing a consistent approach to protecting roadless areas.

The FRWG is however, committed to offering its collective constructive input in the new rule’s management process. The FRWG expressed support for a specific provision of the rule that it had recommended that creates a national advisory committee to assist the Forest Service in reviewing recommendations made by individual state governors for roadless protection within their states.

Reacting to today’s announcement, FRWG Chairman Jim Range said "The roadless areas of our National Forests have become extraordinarily valuable as the highest quality fish and wildlife habitat we have on public land. We wish the Forest Service had adopted a different rule to manage these areas, but we look forward to continuing our constructive engagement with the Forest Service to make sure that the special fish and wildlife value of these areas is properly factored in to new management decisions."

The FRWG is an ad hoc coalition comprised of organizations that collectively represent conservationists, sportspersons, and outdoor recreation businesses that continues to support the protection of roadless areas of the National Forest System (NFS), particularly the large roadless tracts of the NFS in the western United States. The FRWG expressed hope today that as various states develop their plans, governors will provide the maximum amount of input and involvement to the hunting, angling and outdoor recreation communities. Above all, as this new management process goes forward, the FRWG strongly urged that as many roadless areas as possible should continue to be protected. Roadless areas in our National Forests provide outstanding outdoor recreation opportunities for hunters, anglers, hikers, backpackers, paddlers and others.

Said FRWG member Steve Williams, President of the Wildlife Management Institute, "We are very glad to see that an advisory committee will be established and integral to this new management process. If it includes fish and wildlife professionals with expertise regarding the various habitats contained in our roadless areas, then this committee can provide a very helpful guiding function."

Paul Hansen, Executive Director of the Izaak Walton League of America, and FRWG member, looking ahead to the implementation of the new roadless rule said, "The roadless issue provides an extraordinary opportunity for a compromise to protect roadless areas, while significantly increasing timber harvest in parts of the forests that already have roads. This compromise could protect roadless area watersheds, wildlife and recreation, while reducing fire risk, creating jobs, and taking pressure off of imported sources of timber harvested with lower environmental standards."

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For more on the FRWG and its work on the roadless issue, please go to www.frwg.org

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