November 19, 2009

Scientists
Help Keep Roadless Areas Roadless

Roadless areas are critical for wildlife, clean water, and as strongholds of biological diversity and play an even more important role as potential climatic refugia.

President Obama has signaled interest in upholding the national Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which protects 58.5 million acres of our National Forests.  But for now, the fate of these roadless areas and the national rule that protects them is unclear.

All Forest Service proposals for roadbuilding and logging in roadless areas currently are subject to a case-by-case decision by Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, until there is clarity on the national rule. Unfortunately Vilsack recently approved a timber sale on Alaska's Tongass National Forest with nine miles of roadbuilding in old-growth rainforest.  The next Roadless Area to be logged or roaded could be a Roadless Area near you.

Scientists can help protect vulnerable Roadless Areas.

Are you a Scientist?  Please Sign on.

Sign a letter urging President Obama to uphold the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule until new and lasting protections are in place.

CLICK to read the Roadless Rule sign-on letter:

DEADLINE: Wednesday, November 25, 2009.

SIGN-ON PROCESS: Just fill in the fields at Roadless Rule sign-on letter website

Your signature will appear as a typed signature block and will be listed in alphabetical order.  The letter will clearly signify that "affiliations are listed for identification purposes only," or you may opt out of including an affiliation.  Your contact information will not be added to any of our general outreach lists.

Please forward this alert to scientists as you deem appropriate.

Alice Lake Commissary Ridge Roadless Area, Bridger Teton N.F.                       BCA Photo

FOR ROADLESS RULE BACKGROUND
click below
USFS Roadless Area Conservation website

For more information contact me at: duane@voiceforthewild.org  (307) 742-7978