Obama administration cuts down logging in national forests

If trees in U.S. National Forests could breathe a sigh of relief, now would be a good time.

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced a one-year directive to protect some 49 million acres of forests from excessive logging and new road projects.

President Clinton put in place a similar rule in 2001, but since then it’s been hacked up by President George W. Bush and challenged in court by the timber industry.

Vilsack’s announcement takes the decision-making power away from the U.S. Forest Service, which has a difficult time wading through the legal confusion regarding logging permits.

“This interim directive will provide consistency and clarity that will help protect our national forests until a long-term roadless policy reflecting President Obama’s commitment is developed,” Vilsack said in a press release.

The public logging controversy has centered around the Tongass in Alaska, which is America’s largest National Forest.

The directive applies to 24 sales in Tongass scheduled for this year, which includes 35 miles of planned new roads.

Vilsack’s plan doesn’t change Idaho, however, which has its own plan for how to develop roadless areas.

Although environmentalist groups applauded the shift in public logging policy, Earthjustice President Trip Van Noppen said Idaho should also be included.

“We need to get back to nationwide roadless area protection, and for that reason, we think Idaho should be included under this directive as well,” he said in a press release. “As the Obama administration develops its roadless vision over the next year, it must think about how best to implement roadless protections for the whole country.”

The Natural Resources Defense Council gives four reasons why a Roadless Area Conservation Rule is necessary: protect wildlife, habitat, drinking water and natural refuges.

For years, roads were built in National Forests to help the logging industry, although it wasn’t a favor to taxpayers. Constructing roads cost much more than how much the trees were worth.

Vilsack’s announcement is a first step, but the Obama people have to come through with a long-term plan that can put this debate to rest.