FOREST SERVICE LIMITS NEW ROAD CONSTRUCTION IN MOST NATIONAL FORESTS
                                           Release No. 0054.99 

                                 Andrew Kauders: (202) 720-4623
                                        andrew.kauders@usda.gov
                      Forest Service Media Desk: (202) 205-1134
                                           http://www.fs.fed.us

FOREST SERVICE LIMITS NEW ROAD CONSTRUCTION IN MOST NATIONAL FORESTS

     WASHINGTON (Feb. 11, 1999) -- Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman, joined
by Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment Jim Lyons and Forest
Service Chief Mike Dombeck, today announced an 18-month moratorium on new road
construction in unroaded areas in most national forests, allowing for safe
public access while protecting the environment. 

     While the 18-month road construction suspension is in effect, the Forest
Service will develop a long-term road policy for the National Forest
Transportation System.  In addition to minimizing environmental damage, the
Forest Service will establish new policies to guide decisions on identifying
unessential roads, recommending roads to be eliminated or maintained to reduce
environmental damage, and assessing roads that need to be reconstructed and
maintained so that they are safe and can sustain constant public use. 
 
     "Because a road is one of the most indelible marks man can leave on the
landscape, it is our responsibility to safeguard the often irreplaceable
ecological value of unroaded areas until a permanent policy can protect our
last great open spaces, our water and wildlife, and the economic health of
forest communities," Glickman said.  "We are therefore calling an official
time out, so we can examine the science, involve the public and build a roads
policy for the 21st century." 
          
     "This interim policy will allow us to protect socially important and
ecologically valuable roadless areas while we develop a protective and
responsible long-term road policy," said Dombeck. "It's fiscally and
environmentally irresponsible to continue to build roads in unroaded areas
with our current road system in such disrepair." 

     According to the new policy, which will be published tomorrow in the
Federal Register as a final rule, all Forest Service roads will be placed in
two categories - classified and unclassified.  A classified road is at least
50 inches wide and constructed and maintained for vehicle use.  An
unclassified road is considered a road that was not constructed, maintained or
intended for highway use.

     Road management is a long-term financial commitment; once built, roads
must be maintained by the Forest Service for many years
The Forest Service estimates the national forest road system has 383,000 miles
of classified roads and 52,000 miles of unclassified roads.  The agency
projects the current backlog for maintenance and reconstruction of existing
roads is $8.4 billion.  It only receives 18 percent of the funding needed to
annually maintain roads to federal safety and environmental standards.

     "I commend Jim Lyons, Mike Dombeck and the Forest Service for the
leadership role they have taken in implementing this temporary halt to road
construction," Glickman said.  "This process will provide the agency and
public an opportunity to work together in finding a solution to this urgent
problem."

     The 18-month rule will affect unroaded areas - portions of the National
Forest System that do not  contain classified roads.  It also affects those
areas as listed below:

          All remaining roadless portions of Roadless Area Review and Evaluation
     II (RARE II) areas and forest plan inventoried areas that lie 1/4-mile
     or more beyond any classified road.
     *    A National Forest System area that is more than 1,000 acres contiguous
     and unroaded to a  remaining roadless portion of RARE II areas or Forest
     Plan inventoried areas.
     *    All roadless areas identified in the Southern Appalachian Assessment.
     *    National Forest System lands of 1,000 acres or more contiguous and
     unroaded to wild segments of the Wild and Scenic River System.
     *    National Forest System lands of 1,000 acres contiguous and unroaded to
     other federal roadless areas of 5,000 acres or more.

Areas exempt from this rule include the following:

     *    National forests with forest plans that have been revised since January
     1, 1996 and have completed the appeal process.
     *    Those forests with revised forest plans that are under administrative
     appeal or revised during the period of the interim rule.
     *    Those forests with plan revisions or amendments resulting from multi-
     federal agency coordination using a science-based, eco-regional
     assessment.
     *    Road construction for public safety.
     *    Those areas where road access is necessary to ensure access by statute,
     treaty, or reserved to outstanding private right
     *    Those areas where road access is necessary to save life or property
     because of flood, fire,
          or other catastrophic event.

The decision, which goes into effect in 15 days, is the outcome of the Forest
Service analysis of the public comments and hearings it received and conducted
on a proposal made last year.

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