WW and the Colorado Mountain Club have been leading the effort to protect roadless areas in the White River National Forest region since 2006, when the Bush administration was attempting to roll back the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. Since then, the fate of the Roadless Rule has been tied up in two different federal courts, and only two states have followed the state-level roadless rule-making process that the Bush administration advocated. Colorado is one of the two, and unfortunately, despite the overwhelming support for strong roadless protections voiced by the people of the White River National Forest region and around the state, the result of this process is that Colorado's roadless areas are at risk of having the weakest protections in the country.
Gov. Bill Ritter and the Colorado Department of Natural Resources continue to move forward with the Colorado-specific rule. As written, the draft includes loopholes for logging, coal mining, and oil and gas development. United with conservation organizations across the state, we're working on multiple fronts: mobilizing public support for the strongest possible roadless area protections in Colorado; urging the State Department of Natural Resources and the US Forest Service to close the loopholes in the most recent draft language of the Colorado Rule; asking Governor Ritter to postpone implementation of any state roadless rule until there is clarity on the status of the 2001 Rule; and informing our members of Congress of the shortcomings of the Colorado Rule as currently drafted. Nationally, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has invalidated the 2005 State Petitions Rule and reinstated the 2001 Rule nationwide. The decision does not mark the end of legal challenges to the 2001 Rule, but it signifies a changing tide. The momentum is swinging strongly in favor of a protective national rule. Ultimately, the fate of the 2001 Rule is likely to rest with a decision from Tenth Circuit in the next year or so. Fortunately, the current administration has been vocal in supporting strong national protections of the 2001 Roadless Rule. Further, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack issued a directive mandating that any projects involving road building in roadless areas must go through him.
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