Court Reinstates Roadless Rule

I almost let this slip by me. It certainly needs to be noted and applauded. Thanks to Conscious Earth for the heads up. This is from Earth Justice.
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Photo here
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Court Reinstates Roadless Rule
Almost 50 million acres of national forests and grasslands once again protected

San Francisco, CA -- A federal district court today ordered reinstatement of the Clinton era roadless rule to protect almost 50 million acres of wild national forests and grasslands from road building, logging, and development. The court order is a stunning victory for all Americans who value America's great natural areas and reverses the Bush administration's efforts to open these last great natural areas to development interests.
According to the court, "Defendants are enjoined from taking any further action contrary to the Roadless Rule without undertaking environmental analysis consistent with this opinion." The court noted that in adopting the Rule which the court reinstated today, the Forest Service itself found that the Rule was "necessary to protect the social and ecological values and characteristics of . . . roadless areas from road construction . . . and timber harvesting activities. . . . Adoption of [the Roadless Rule] ensures that inventoried roadless areas will be managed in a manner that sustains their values now and for future generations."
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