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BlueRibbon Coalition Public
Lands Advisor Selected for National Roadless Committee
Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns today announced
the selection BlueRibbon Public Lands Consultant
Adena Cook to the Roadless Area Conservation National
Advisory Committee. This committee will provide
advice and recommendations on implementing the state
petitions for Inventoried Roadless Area Management
Rule adopted by USDA in May of 2005.
Ms. Cook responded to the announcement, “I am
very pleased to be one of the 12 members of the
Roadless Advisory Committee who will help the National
Forest and states through an elective process of
revising plans to manage National Forest roadless
areas. Our National Forest roadless areas are among
our nation’s most precious recreation resources
and deserve to be actively managed for diverse recreation
and forest health.”
Members of the committee will review petitions
submitted by states, seek consensus, identify issues
and provide the Secretary or the Secretary's designee
with advice and recommendations on implementing
the State Petitions Rule. The committee membership
is geographically diverse, with members from ten
states and the District of Columbia.
"These committee members have expressed a keen
interest in the conservation and management of inventoried
roadless areas on National Forest lands and represent
a diverse set of perspectives and values," said
Johanns. "I look forward to having the results of
their deliberations to ensure we continue to care
for the land and serve people."
Cook said, “I am looking forward to working with
the other members of the committee to find innovative
land management solutions for these lands. I am
excited about the possibilities that the Advisory
Committee offers in this direction.”
Cook noted that the new roadless rule doesn’t
require anything to happen. The State Petitions
Rule established a process to provide Governors
an opportunity to establish or adjust management
requirements for National Forest System inventoried
roadless areas within their states. USDA will accept
state petitions until November 13, 2006.
Cook added, “For the first time, we have an opportunity
to suggest changes to roadless management from the
bottom up, from the grass-roots, from the people
who live close to those lands. There will be a significant
process that assures these changes are fair and
beneficial before they are finalized and implemented.
I am committed to a fair process.”
Cook retired from her full time position as Public
Lands Director in 2002 after 14 years of service
and became a part time Public Lands Consultant for
the Coalition.
Members of the committee include: Darin Bird,
representing state-elected officials; Robert Cope,
representing locally-elected officials; Adena Cook
and Geraldine Link, representing developed recreation
organizations; Jeff Eisenberg, James Riley and Gregory
Schaefer, representing commercial interest organizations;
Denny Scott representing organized labor organizations;
and Paul Hansen, Dale Harris, Todd Schulke, Howard
Vaughan and Chris Wood representing environmental
organizations.
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