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GRANTS PASS, Ore. — The Obama administration Friday extended for another year the moratorium on most logging and mining in millions of acres of remote and rugged backcountry sections of national forests.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said from Washington, D.C., that he wants to continue to give decisions on projects in roadless areas a higher level of scrutiny while waiting for federal courts to resolve the legal issues.
National forests in 39 states have a total of 58.5 million acres of roadless areas that have been formally placed on an inventory.
The moratorium does not apply in Idaho, which developed its own roadless rule during the Bush administration. Colorado has submitted a road less plan that has yet to be approved.
