Rey urges support of Bush roadless plan at Nevada conference

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Rey urges support of Bush roadless plan at Nevada conference
By MARTIN GRIFFITH
ASSOCIATED PRESS

SPARKS, Nev. (AP) - Agriculture Undersecretary Mark Rey urged tourism officials to support the Bush administration's new plan for national forest "roadless areas," saying it would protect most of the acreage.

The Bush administration earlier this month unveiled new rules that would allow possible logging, mining and other commercial uses on 58.5 million acres of remote forests that President Clinton had set aside for protection.

"It's my prediction they'll protect most of the areas" specified under Clinton's 2001 order, said Rey, who directs the nation's forest policy. "We hope to bring the issue to closure once and for all."

Rey's remarks came Sunday at the opening of a three-day conference being held by the Western States Tourism Policy Council, which represents 11 states on tourism issues.

Rey said past attempts to resolve the fate of roadless areas with a nationwide rule have failed, and that's why the Bush administration is taking a new approach.

Governors can submit petitions within 18 months to stop road building on some of the 34.3 million acres where it would now be permitted or request that new forest management rules be written to allow construction on some of the other 24.2 million acres.

"There are cynics who have said it will do nothing to reduce conflict. I disagree," Rey said. "We think more involvement by the states will result in a better outcome."

The conflict over roadless areas has raged on for more than 40 years because of strong emotions on both sides of the issue, Rey said.

"Maybe (our approach) is a new mistake but I don't think so," he said, adding it should lead to more thorough information on which to base decisions and correct problems cited by judges with Clinton's plan.

Bureau of Land Management Director Kathleen Clarke said her agency needs the help of tourism officials and others to meet the challenge of soaring recreational use of public lands.

Because the BLM lacks the personnel to enforce regulations on its 261 million acres, it must stress public stewardship in the future, Clarke said.

"The reality is meeting the demand for recreation is a shared responsibility," she said. "We've got to have recreational users who are good stewards ... who do the right thing when no one is watching."

The conference at the Sparks Nugget - "Meeting the Challenge: The Outlook for Recreation in the West on National Forest and BLM Lands" - is designed to come up with a strategy to enhance outdoor recreation while protecting resources.

"The conference provides an unprecedented opportunity to help shape the future for outdoor recreation in the West, and the essential roles of the BLM and Forest Service as providers," said Bruce Bommarito, executive director of the Nevada Tourism Commission, which is co-sponsoring the event.

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