The resignation of US agricultural secretary Ann Veneman, who was responsible for overseeing the Forest Service for the past four years, has brought hope to opponents of a plan which could allow logging on nearly 60 million acress of federal forests.
Several Democratic governors and environmental groups believe fresh faces in the government’s cabinet could moderate the Bush administration’s plan to give states the power to allow logging and road construction in environmentally sensitive areas.
Opponents have sent more than 1.7 million comments on the plan to the US Forest Service, which will now review all responses from public consultation.
The logging and roadbuilding initiative would effectively reverse former President Clinton’s roadless rule, which was designed to limit road construction, felling and mining in federal forests.
