The Internet has made it far easier for citizens to bend the federal government’s ear — too easy, the U.S. Forest Service says. The agency wants to revise its policies so that it will be free to disregard opinions submitted in “form letters, check-off lists, pre-printed post cards, or similar duplicative materials” when accepting public comment about forest plans. The rule change would apply to land-use decisions in forests — for example, whether specific areas should be used for recreation, logging, or wildlife habitat — but would not apply to proposed timber sales. The USFS says mass-mail input adds to the quantity of comments without improving the quality of dialogue. Environmentalists see the proposal as an attempt to stifle public involvement, arguing that when the government says it’s accepting public comments it should mean it.
