WASHINGTON - September 9 - Many of the landscapes first explored by Lewis and Clark would lose their protected status if the Bush administration succeeds in weakening the federal Roadless Area Conservation Rule designed to protect America's remaining wild forests. With the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition in full swing, the administration's recently announced changes to the Roadless Rule are raising concerns locally about the fate of pristine, historic places like Lolo Pass on the Idaho, Montana border, National Grasslands in the Dakotas, and the Mount Hood National Forest in Oregon.

"The Corps of Discovery's 200th anniversary ought to be a time to strengthen, not weaken protections for our historic grasslands, forests, mountains and rivers," said Mary Kiesau, Director of the Sierra Club's Lewis and Clark Wild America Campaign. "This is our best and probably last chance to protect the untouched, special places Lewis and Clark experienced for future generations of explorers."

The wildly popular Roadless Rule, enacted in 2001 and developed over three years of public hearings and scientific analysis, protects 58.5 million acres of roadless areas in our national forests from most logging, road-building and other destructive development. Forty percent of the remaining U.S. inventoried roadless area on National Forest land lies within the country explored by Lewis and Clark

In July, the Bush administration proposed a repeal of the landmark Roadless Rule that could open up the unspoiled lands of Lewis and Clark to destructive commercial logging and road building. This controversial proposal forces Governors to petition the Department of Agriculture to protect their wild, roadless National Forests. A gubernatorial petition does not guarantee protection though. Yesterday the Bush administration announced they will extend the public comment period, originally scheduled to end September 14, to November 14. "After more than 3 years and 2.5 million public comments, the Bush administration may finally be getting the message that Americans care about protecting their wild forests. Concerned citizens now have more time to make their voices heard," said Kiesau.

"Two hundred years ago, Lewis and Clark explored 8000-miles of pristine lands and rivers, discovering for Western science 300 species of plants and animals. Today, many of the most sensitive unprotected roadless areas are threatened by logging, mining and roadbuilding, and over 40% of the animals Lewis and Clark discovered are in trouble," said Kiesau. "We are working to see that a few of the last, best wild places Lewis and Clark experienced, where the public now camps, hunts, hikes and fishes, remain intact and roadless."

Sierra Club is working to protect about one million acres across several western states as part of the Lewis & Clark Wild America Campaign. Through conservation initiatives such as the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, future generations of explorers will have the same opportunity as Lewis and Clark to see our country's magnificent landscape. America's oldest and largest grassroots conservation organization has been promoting land preservation efforts as part of the national Lewis and Clark Bicentennial since 1999, and today is a national partner in the Circle of Conservation Advisors for the National Council of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial.

For more information regarding the Sierra Club's Lewis & Clark wilderness proposals, visit: http://www.sierraclub.org/lewisandclark/proposals.asp

For more information on the fate of our National Forests and the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, visit: http://www.sierraclub.org/forests/

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