The U.S. Forest Service has been hearing cheers and jeers during its public sessions across the country this fall on the Clinton administration’s proposal to protect some 50 million acres of roadless lands on national forests from development. Yesterday was no exception, as more than 500 hikers, hunters, loggers, off-road-vehicle users, and others gathered in Boise, Idaho, to voice their opinions. The public comment period on the proposal ends on Dec. 20. Predictably, Republican heavyweights Sens. Frank Murkowski (AK) and Bob Smith (NH) sent USFS Chief Mike Dombeck a letter yesterday saying that the administration should scrap its plan to protect roadless areas and begin formulating a new one that better incorporates public feedback.
