They are sources of our cleanest drinking water and some of our most important fish and wildlife habitat. They are a haven for the human spirit and a wellspring of future wilderness areas. By fostering permanent stewardship of our natural heritage, America's last untouched scenic wilderness will continue to provide spiritual, biological, economic, and recreational benefits. For these reasons, conservationists have made the protection of our Heritage Forests our highest priority. The Beltway Battleground One of the arenas in which protection of these roadless forest lands is fought out is the Interior Appropriations process, where each year the Forest Service's road building budget is intensively debated by Congress.
Roads wreak havoc on wildland ecosystems.
In recent years, the conservation community has played an increasingly important role in reducing the Forest Service roads budget through the appropriations process. In 1997 efforts to dramatically reduce the agency's roads budget came closer than ever to succeeding, failing in both chambers by just one vote. These last remaining wild areas are precious to millions of Americans and key to protecting clean water and abundant wildlife habitat, and providing recreation opportunities. These unspoiled places must be managed through science, not politics. The Administration wants to develop a comprehensive policy to stop potential budget reductions by Congress.