More and more people realize that federal timber lands have a value aside from board feet. Wilderness is more valuable as it becomes more scarce. Clinton announced Wednesday that he wants to place 40 million acres of remote, federal forest land off-limits to development. Roads would not be built into them. Vast reaches of other federal timberland are already available for logging and other development, he said.
Roads open forest areas to development, erosion and pollution.
They also can disrupt wildlife, plant life and natural systems. But roadless federal land also contains some of the Forest Service's most desirable timber. Timber companies and their allies in Congress oppose efforts to close off future development. Associated Press content is Copyrighted by The Associated Press.