Major environmental groups like the Sierra Club and The Wilderness Society plan to wage a massive campaign to turn out supporters at public meetings and to get them to send in comments. Industry activists, who could lose access to forests for logging, mining, grazing and recreation, don't put much hope in the comment period. About 60 million of the 192 million acres of federal forests are considered wild, or undeveloped. But others say that legislation could be a tough sell in an election year.
Opponents say their best bet is the courts.
Craig points out that President Carter's attempts to mandate a roadless policy without input from Congress was stopped by a judge. The counties of Boise and Valley in Idaho and Boise Cascade Corp. already have a lawsuit pending to try to stop the forest plan. Nevada's largest daily newspaper.