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RECREATIONAL GROUPS APPEAR
AT ROADLESS RULE HEARING
 SAN
FRANCISCO, CA (August 4) -- Recreational
interests were among those in the packed
courtroom before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth
Laporte participating in the latest legal
maneuvers over U.S. Forest Service management of
"roadless areas." The three-hour hearing was
held on August 1, 2006, in two consolidated
cases challenging the 2005 Roadless Rule. Paul
Turcke of Boise, Idaho appeared at the hearing
on behalf of "recreational group" defendant
intervenors the California Association of 4
Wheel Drive Clubs ("CA4WDC"), United Four Wheel
Drive Associations, the American Council of
Snowmobile Associations, and the BlueRibbon
Coalition. Assisting Mr. Turcke as local counsel
was Dennis Porter of CA4WDC.
The lawsuits were brought by the states of
California, Oregon and New Mexico and numerous
environmental organizations led by the
Wilderness Society. The cases seek to have the
2005 Bush Administration Roadless Rule declared
invalid and to reinstate the 2001 Clinton
Administration Roadless Rule. The States of
Washington, Montana and Maine have sided with
the plaintiffs, while the State of Wyoming and
Silver Creek Timber Company have joined the
Recreational Groups in siding with the Federal
Defendants.
"The Court conducted a thorough and probing
analysis of the issues, and all involved
anticipate the decision on this highly-visible
issue," Turcke observed. "The Plaintiffs have
indicated they will accept nothing short of
reinstatement of the 2001 Rule, and our clients
can live with virtually any result other than
reinstatement. So it would appear that the
controversy and litigation over "roadless"
issues will not soon subside," Turcke predicted.
The 2001 Roadless Rule was challenged in at
least ten lawsuits throughout the country, and
was enjoined twice, temporarily by the U.S.
District Court for the District of Idaho, and
then permanently by the U.S. District Court for
the District of Wyoming. While the Wyoming
decision was under appeal, the Forest Service
promulgated the 2005 Roadless Rule, prompting
the U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals to
declare as moot the challenges to the 2001 Rule
and to vacate the earlier decision of the
Wyoming court. These actions, coupled with a
handful of projects moving forward which the
Plaintiffs contend would have been blocked by
the 2001 Rule, set the stage for the current
litigation.
About BlueRibbon Coalition
The BlueRibbon Coalition is a national
recreation group that champions responsible use
of public and private lands, and encourages
individual environmental stewardship. It
represents over 10,000 individual members and
1,200 organization and business members, for a
combined total of over 600,000 recreationists
nationwide. 1-800-258-3742.
http://www.sharetrails.org
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