Court reinstates road ban in national forests

[finnman]

It's obvious that many on here do not have family involved in the timber industry or their jobs are not related to timber harvest

Provide local income through timber harvest, pay construction companies to build the roads, pay them to remove the roads or gate them. Habitat inproves, if the habitat does not improve, the animal numbers keep falling, does it matter if there are no roads? You don't have any animals to hunt!!!!!

[280ackley]

Your right Finnman.  Some should take a drive around a few of the county's that relied on work from the our National Forests and see what happens.  Lewis county is now over 14% unemployment.  This isn't only because of the lack of work in the GP but it hasn't helped.  Also, most of the NF in the west could be self sustaining when it comes to there budgets but we all know that will never happen.

[Jamieb]

If I'm remembering this right, from back when Clinton was in office. This only affects "wilderness areas"

[Elkaholic daWg]

If I'm remembering this right, from back when Clinton was in office. This only affects "wilderness areas"

 WRONG!   By law wilderness must be "untrammeled by man"  meaning no roads allowed. When land is designated Wilderness roads are removed in most (or all) cases.
 This was (and IS) an attempt by the green liberal left to impose de facto wilderness in other ares of the National Forests on the rest of us........

[280ackley]

 
I believe Clinton's road ban was one of the last Executive Orders he signed.  That is different from his Northwest Forest Plan which was established in 1994.

[bonkellekter]

does it matter if there are no roads?

I grew up logging and my dad still has a logging business - and times are really tough for them right now - that being said this ruling (and I think this thread) has to do with designated roadless wilderness land which we as sportsmen can't afford to lose any more of. So yes it does matter if there are roads. There are many other ways to imrpove wildlife habitat like controlled burns. I am not sure if you have ever hunted any of these large roadless areas but the experience is second to none and cannot be experienced anywhere that access is as easy as turning in your hubs to drive up and down old logging roads. But I am also all for selective logging in these areas for habitat improvement when the roads are going to be re-claimed.

[280ackley]

Whats its about is bypassing Congress.  If these areas should be Wilderness areas then let congress vote on them and let it be so.  This is about bypassing congress by way of Executive Order and now Court order.