Comments about ‘Government halts forest road-building for 1 year’

Trip Van Numbskull thinks that roadless areas are the "last remaining pristine areas"...but what about wilderness, national parks, national monuments and other lands within the National Landscape Conservation System? Actually, Tripper, many of these so-called roadless areas actually have roads in them, they just aren't recognized as roads because the forest service doesn't map unauthorized roads. On the ground, these areas aren't as "pristine" as the greenies think.

Most National Forests are not "pristine wilderness areas," but have been accessible for over a hundred years. Blocking roads shuts out the very taxpayers who own the land, and has undermined the Forest Service's public support.

The more Americans get into their National Forests, the more they will appreciate them and support ideas that protect them. Shutting us out does the opposite.

While temporarily halting development in national forests, this conservative (environmentally speaking) approach to land use planning appears sound though it may have a mild impact on this Country's ability to address the current recession and high unemployment and energy dependency. Yet, this land is not our's to rape and pillage, earth is something to be nurtured and protected. While it's possible to develop natural forests, it is almost impossible to undevelop it. Unless America is more careful to balance its eco-systems, the earth and nature can turn on humans with a vengeance. It is better to go slow for the long-term survival of the human race.

Tax payers do not own the land of National Forests. Bureaucrats in Washington D.C. own it. You think you own any of it? Can you sell your share? Then you don't own it, they do and THEY will decide the fate of "public" lands. You have NO say whatsoever!

Losing natural resources should alarm everyone and the rampant losses of old growth forests is irreparable in a persons lifetime. Roads in these forests also cause irreparable damage to our other resource of water. Roads change runoff and underground aquifers being resupplied for the down hill users in cities and towns. Many of the existing roads in our mountains are from logging and the damage they cause is readily apparent. I was up in the American Fork canyon recently and the river drainage has been largely disrupted and diverted to unsafe channels of runoff. The road interferes with the runoff and routes the water to unnatural flows. I'm not saying close the canyon, but illustrating what roads in the wilderness can do to it. I like to get out and see natural surroundings just as much as anyone, but it must be supervised development.

Too much of our natural resources are exported for the sole purpose of balancing our government deficit spending and losses to imports and foreign countries. Our oil, our lumber, and minerals are being lost to foreign countries to balance our budget at the high cost of losing jobs and manufacturing in the US.

sO, WHAT'S A Few more lay-offs. It's all Bushs' fault anyway.

Timber reserves were set aside for the purpose of supplying wood products to the american people. This "management" of forests is acting in complete opposition to the purpose of its existence.

Many many forest roads have been arbitrarily seized by the forest service. In spite of the roads having been in place before the forest was even created, the forest service is making local and state governments go to court for every road they seize to prove what is obvious to casual observation.

This willful ignorance is a horrible abuse of power.