Statement of U.S. PIRG Executive Director Gene Karpinski

The Bush administration’s repeal today of the Roadless Area Conservation Rule means that millions of acres of America’s last wild forests are now open for clear-cut logging, oil and gas drilling, and mining.

This repeal turns a blind eye to the overwhelming public support for protecting the last third of America’s national forests. The Forest Service has received a record breaking 4 million comments in support of this rule.

The rule released today establishes a meaningless process for governors to petition the Secretary of Agriculture to protect roadless areas in their states. The Secretary may or may not grant such petitions at his discretion. Let’s be clear: states are not empowered by this new measure. Governors will be used as window dressing while the Secretary of Agriculture will retain control. This new rule showcases the Administration’s willingness to ignore public concern and citizen involvement in the management of public lands.

Today's anti-environmental action is unfortunately consistent with most of the Bush administration's environmental record—when big business polluters say "jump," the administration only asks "how high?" On energy policy they sided with Big Oil, on clean air they sided with the utility industry, and on clean water they sided with the developers, always at the expense of public health, consumer pocketbooks, and environmental protection. Today, they're siding with the timber industry at the expense of taxpayers, our wild forests, and all who want to enjoy those forests.

U.S. PIRG is the national advocacy office for the state Public Interest Research Groups. State PIRGs are non-profit, non-partisan public interest advocacy organizations.