Protect Our Last Wild Forests
Our country's last wild national forests remain at risk of logging, drilling and other development due to the Bush administration's efforts to undo the Roadless Area Conservation Rule. This landmark environmental policy protects nearly 60 million acres of the country's remaining wild forestland, including Alaska's Tongass National Forest, the only temperate rainforest in North America.
That is why we need your help. President Obama has been a strong supporter of the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, and we need his newly appointed Secretary of Agriculture to implement an immediate "time out" on road-building and other activities on these pristine national forestlands.
This immediate "time out" will provide protection to these wild forests until the necessary steps can be taken to fully reinstate the Roadless Rule. Please sign onto our letter today, and help preserve these heritage forests for future generations to enjoy.
Dear Secretary Vilsack:
President Barack Obama has been a strong supporter of the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, a popular environmental policy that preserves 58.5 million acres of inventoried roadless areas in our national forests. But after repeated attempts by the Bush administration to undercut its protections, the rule's status is uncertain. Consequently, some of our country's most pristine national forests are at risk.
We ask you to call for an immediate "time out" on road-building and other activities in our undeveloped national forestlands - including Alaska's Tongass National Forest - until the necessary steps can be taken to fully reinstate the roadless rule. Such action would be consistent with President Obama's support for the policy and ensure these areas are not threatened until more permanent protection can be implemented.
Roadless areas are a vital part of our national forests. They provide clean drinking water for millions of Americans, critical habitat for fish and wildlife, and offer recreational opportunities for our families. They should be protected, because once they're gone, they're gone forever.
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