Federal forestland rule change delayed

Manufacturing News, Source : TheManufacturer.com
Published : 09 Sep 2004 15:58

The Bush administration announced that it will postpone a final decision on a plan to allow road building and logging on 58 million acres of remote forests—which could affect many manufacturing industries—until after the presidential election.

In July, the Bush administration announced that it was reversing a 2001 executive order by President Bill Clinton that banned road construction on nearly one-third of federal forestland. The order is, in practice, a ban on logging, mining or oil and gas development in those areas.

The forestland in question includes millions of acres in Colorado, Oregon, Washington and New Mexico. The rule change allows governors to decide by 2006 whether or not to petition the federal government to permit new forestland road construction.

The administration will accept public comments on the proposed rule change through November 15.

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