The Reader's View
Today, the state of preservation

By Dennis Madsen
Special to The Times

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That's why I have deep concerns about the administration's proposed changes to rules managing America's last remaining wild forests, commonly known as "the roadless rule." The administration's proposal shifts responsibility for federal lands from the consistent national framework currently in place, to a state-by-state "opt-in" approach. This creates an untested petition process likely to result in a patchwork of inconsistent federal policies across state lines and forces the already overloaded Forest Service to write and administer 39 separate rules — abandoning the inclusive federal rule currently in place.

The fate of wild forests in those states failing to issue a petition will remain uncertain. While interim protections will be in place throughout the petition process, those are currently scheduled to sunset after the 18-month petition period. These remaining wild lands are too important for this untried process.

This new approach casts a shadow on recreation lands treasured by backpackers, hikers, mountain bikers, hunters, fishers and other recreationalists. In Washington state there are more than 2 million acres of inventoried Forest Service roadless areas. These wild forests offer unique recreation opportunities for individuals and families in Washington, but also for the millions of visitors who come to our state to participate in outdoor activities.

The proposed new roadless rule also unnecessarily undermines the recreation economy that is a significant driver in the U.S. economy. With nearly 3.5 million, or almost two-thirds, of Washington residents participating in outdoor recreation and the millions more who visit, statewide outdoor-recreation spending generates well more than $200 million annually. Nationally, the outdoor industry generates $18 billion annually and contributes billions more in travel and tourism dollars.

Recreation is a viable and sustainable use of the remaining roadless areas — providing economic benefits to local economies through tourism and recreation spending. And unlike extractive uses of these lands, recreation generates returns year after year, after year, which is a much more sustainable model for our rural economies. The proposed new roadless rule creates great uncertainty about the management of these lands and threatens the health of the outdoor-recreation industry and the economies increasingly dependent on them.

The new rule may expose these lands to development. Some governors will recognize the importance of preserving these lands and petition for federal roadless protection, but even then there is no guarantee that those protections will be granted, as the final decision is made by the administration. And with 39 separate governors choosing whether or not to petition, we run the risk that federal lands will be split across state lines and managed inconsistently. Such an outcome would not support the outdoor industry, recreation-dependent communities or millions of outdoor users.

On behalf of outdoor enthusiasts in Washington and across America, I urge the Bush administration to reconsider its proposal and maintain protections for the last remaining federal roadless areas. I also urge citizens to make sure their views are known on this matter through the public comment period that concludes on Sept. 14, 2005.

Dennis Madsen is chief executive officer of REI in Kent.