Roadless Timeline
Roadless Area Conservation Rule Timeline
2003
June 9, 2003: The Bush administration announces it decision to exempt Alaska's National Forests from the roadless rule as part of a court settlement with the State of Alaska and the timber industry. This decision effects the Tongass National Forest America's largest national forest and last coastal rainforest. The administration also announced its intentions to allow governors to opt out of the roadless rule.
April 4, 2003: The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals denies State of Idaho's and Boise Cascade Corporation's petitions for rehearing and for en banc consideration of the Roadless Area Conservation Rule case confirming that the rule is legally sound. By refusing to rehear the case, the entire 9th Circuit has upheld its December 12th decision that the lower court's injunction against the roadless rule was an abuse of discretion.
February 13: Mark Rey, testifies that the Bush Administration will issue a "modified" roadless rule within the next two months.
2002
December 23: State of Idaho, Boise Cascade et al file with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals asking for the roadless case to be reheard by a larger panel of 9th Circuit judges.
December 12: 9th Circuit Court of Appeals lifts the injunction on the Roadless Area Conservation Rule - effectively making it the law of the land.
December 11: President Bush announces his so-called "Healthy Forest Initiative".
December 6: The Bush Administration proposes revised national forest planning regulations that weaken environmental review and public participation.
July 25: U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and John Warner (R-VA) introduce a bill codifying the Roadless Rule.
June 26: Forest Service releases report discounting many public comments submitted on the Roadless Rule.
June 5: U.S Representatives Jay Inslee (D- WA) & Sherwood Boehlert, (R-NY) introduce a bill codifying the Roadless Rule with more than 175 original cosponsors.
May 17: Bush Administration recommends no wilderness protection for roadless areas in Tongass National Forest.
May 9: 26 Senators send a letter to President Bush asking him to uphold the Roadless Rule.
2001
December 20: Forest Service issues interim directive on roadless area management, removing protection for contiguous unroaded areas.
October 15: Ninth Circuit holds hearing on expedited appeals of Judge Lodge's preliminary injunction.
September 20: Forest Service proposes changes in its "categorical exclusion" regulations that would exempt small-scale management activities in roadless areas from environmental review.
September 10: More than 675,000 comments submitted in support of the roadless rule for a total of over 2.2 million since 1999.
June 7: Forest Service requires approval by Chief of all road building and logging projects in roadless areas until forest plans are amended.
May 10: Judge Lodge issues preliminary injunction blocking implementation of Roadless Rule; environmental interveners appeal to Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
May 4: Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman promises to allow the roadless rule to go into effect on May 12, 2001.
April 20: Timber industry coalition, led by American Forest and Paper Association, files lawsuit in District of Columbia U.S. district court.
March 30: At court hearing on Idaho PI motions, the Bush Administration does not defend the Roadless Rule and asks the court to wait for the Administration to complete its review and file a status report by May 4.
March 15: Senators Patrick Leahy and Maria Cantwell write to Attorney General John Ashcroft urging vigorous defense of Roadless Rule litigation.
February 20: Boise Cascade files motion for a preliminary injunction (PI), requesting decision on their case prior to May 12.
February 5: USDA Secretary Veneman postpones effective date of Roadless Rule until May 12, citing White House directive.
January 20: President Bush takes office. White House directive postpones effective date of all federal rules not yet in effect, including Roadless Rule.
January 8: Boise Cascade et al. files suit in Idaho U.S. district court. Case is assigned to Judge Edward Lodge.
January 5: President Clinton signs Roadless Rule into law.
2000
November 13: Final Environmental Impact Statement released.
July 26: Deputy Chief of the National Forest System, Jim Furnish testifies before the Senate.
July 17: Over 1.1 million comments submitted on draft environmental review of Roadless Rule.
July 12: Senator Larry Craig backed off his plan to offer an amendment that would have delayed President Clinton's plan to ban road-building in 43 million acres of roadless federal forests.
July 11: House Small Business Committee hearing on the Roadless Initiative.
July Over 2000 leaders and members of the faith community write to President Clinton to express concern that the Forest Service's proposal does not does not "fulfill our responsibility to respect God's creation in these increasingly rare wild forests."
May 10: Federal Register Notice on Proposed Rule.
May 9: Draft EIS and Proposed Rule released.
March 30: George Frampton, head of the Council on Environmental Quality testifies before the Senate on the Roadless Initiative.
March 14: USDA Under Secretary Jim Lyons testifies before the House on the Roadless Initiative.
February 22: USDA Under Secretary Jim Lyons testifies before the Senate on the Roadless Initiative.
February 14: Led by Senator Barbara Boxer, twenty U.S. Senators send letter to President Clinton asking for full protection of roadless areas.
January 12: Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Alliance found that of 50 million hunters and anglers polled, 86 percent of anglers and 83 percent of hunter supported efforts to keep the remaining roadless areas in National Forests free of roads.
January National public survey released by republican pollster Linda DiVall reveals that 76 percent of Americans support the Clinton policy to permanently protect roadless areas from development, including 62 percent of republicans.
1999
December 20: Over 350,000 comments submitted on scoping period for Roadless Initiative.
November 3: Forest Service Chief Mike Dombeck testifies in favor of the Roadless Initiative before the House on the Roadless Initiative.
November 2: Forest Service Chief Mike Dombeck testifies before the Senate on the Roadless Initiative.
October 19: Roadless Initiative Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS is published in the Federal Register.
October 13: President Clinton announces the Roadless Initiative.