The Alaska Forest Association today accused the Clinton Administration of playing fast and loose with the legally mandated public planning process for setting policy regarding America’s national forests. "What appeared to be good news yesterday, turns out on closer examination to be more of the Clinton Administration’s political sleight of hand," said executive director, Jack Phelps. "What we thought would be an exemption for some forests, including the Tongass, turns out to be more like a stay of execution."

"The announced roadless policy, both in its "interim" form, and in its long-term version, represents the worst in public policy, and circumvents public participation by asking for public comment after the fact. It also violates the public trust by unnecessarily taking productive land out of the nation’s economic marketbasket, and by cutting Americans off from many recreational opportunities in their own public forests." Phelps said. "This is the king decreeing that commoners should stay out of his forest."

The Forest Service announcement of its proposed "interim policy" came this morning in Washington, D.C. "The announcement gives lip service to the public participation embodied in the laws governing the forest planning process, but actually works to interdict that process," Phelps said. "For example, the planning process is just beginning on the Chugach National Forest. Implementation of this new roadless policy on the Chugach will predetermine use restrictions on significant portions of that forest, the overwhelming percentage of which is presently unroaded."

The Forest Service announcement says that "for revised forest plans that are still under public appeal, road construction in roadless areas will be addressed within the appeals period, as appropriate." Phelps pointed to this as a portent of bad things to come in Southeast Alaska. "The Tongass fits into this category," Phelps said, "and the sentence is politico-babble for ‘we will implement our policy through a plan amendment.’ This way they can say they complied with the Governor’s request for public participation, but then do an end run around Alaska’s best interests. This conclusion is supported by Chief Dombeck ’s statement that he anticipates "the final long-term road policy will apply to all forests."

"Governor Knowles has shown strong initiative and leadership on this issue and has caught flak from the radicals for doing so," Phelps said. "We all need to support him, Senator Murkowski , Congressman Young, and Alaska’s state legislative leadership as they work to make sure Alaskans get fair treatment in federal decisions that affect our lives, our families and our communities."

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