These areas are important environmental and recreation assets, but are not legally protected from exploitation. They could be opened to subsidized commercial logging and other development if some anti-environmental members of Congress have their way. The roadless areas are far more valuable for their environmental and recreation values than for timber cutting, Dr. Marks said. Marks said that national forests are wonderful places to escape from our harried lives in the cities. The national forests receive three times the number of visitors that our national parks get.
People come to the forests for sightseeing, camping, hiking, hunting, fishing, and other recreation.
Protecting roadless forest areas is good for the taxpayers. Sixty percent of existing roads are not maintained to public safety and environmental standards. The federal government loses millions of dollars every year on timber sales. Polls show that Americans across the political spectrum want wild lands protected, Marks pointed out. For example, a recent survey by Republican pollster Frank Luntz showed that 88 percent of Americans are worried that special places may be lost unless we act to protect them.