Appeals court vows quick ruling in US forest case
Date: 24-May-01
Country: USA
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco has told parties to submit briefs by May 31, and to expect a decision as early as July.
U.S. District Judge Edward Lodge in Boise, Idaho, issued a preliminary injunction earlier this month following a lawsuit brought by Boise Cascade Corp. and the state of Idaho. They argued the Clinton-era rule was rushed and did not allow sufficient time for public input.
Environmental groups that have appealed Lodge's ruling applauded the appeals court's announcement and said it brought them one step closer to getting the roadless plan into effect.
"This decision to expedite the appeal is significant because it allows the Bush administration a new opportunity to make good on its pledge to honor roadless values and, for the first time, defend the rule," said Jane Danowitz, director of the Heritage Forests Campaign.
The Bush Administration has said it would move forward with the plan to ban new roads in forests, but also would seek to modify the rule to allow local input so changes are made on a forest-by-forest basis.
But Judge Lodge said he issued the injunction because the administration's proposal amounted to nothing more then a "Band Aid approach" and said allowing the plan to go forward could pose serious threats to the health of U.S. forests.
The Clinton plan to protect wilderness areas was endorsed by 1.6 million letters and faxes from the public, the largest outpouring of comments on a federal environmental measure.
