BILL REQ. #: S-4204.1
State of Washington | 59th Legislature | 2006 Regular Session |
Read first time 01/13/2006. Referred to Committee on Natural Resources, Ocean & Recreation.
TO THE HONORABLE GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES,
AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED, AND TO THE SECRETARY OF
AGRICULTURE:
We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of
the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully
represent and petition as follows:
WHEREAS, Washington state contains over nine million acres of
national forest land; and
WHEREAS, Washington state has an interest in preserving,
protecting, and perpetuating the wildlife and fish resources of the
state and in protecting the quality and quantity of water resources
within the state; and
WHEREAS, On January 12, 2001, the Department of Agriculture adopted
regulations, hereafter known as the 2001 roadless rule, generally
prohibiting road construction, reconstruction, and timber harvest on
certain national forest lands, known as inventoried roadless areas,
because of the likelihood such activities would impact resources that
provide such values as clean drinking water and habitat for threatened
and endangered species; and
WHEREAS, Washington state contains a total of roughly two million
acres of inventoried roadless areas in the Olympic, Mount Baker-Snoqualmie, Gifford Pinchot, Wenatchee, Okanogan, Colville, and
Umatilla National Forests; and
WHEREAS, On May 13, 2005, the protections for inventoried roadless
areas adopted in 2001 were repealed and replaced by a process under
which individual states may petition the Secretary of Agriculture to
adopt requirements for the management of all, or any portion of,
inventoried roadless areas within the state; and
WHEREAS, The petition process adopted by the Department of
Agriculture requires that all petitions be submitted by November 13,
2006, and that such petitions include analysis of the impacts of
present and recommended federal land management practices on states and
state policies, including effects on state conservation policies and
fish and wildlife resources; and
WHEREAS, On November 1, 2005, the Governor of the state of
Washington requested that the Secretary of Agriculture create a
streamlined process by which states can opt to retain the protections
of the 2001 roadless rule for inventoried roadless areas within the
state. Such a process would simplify the protection of inventoried
roadless areas and save administrative costs to both states and the
federal government;
NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the
federal government, by legislation or by regulation, either reinstate
the protections of the 2001 roadless rule for all inventoried roadless
areas or adopt a streamlined process by which states can opt to retain
the protections of the 2001 roadless rule for inventoried roadless
areas within their boundaries.
BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately
transmitted to the Honorable George W. Bush, President of the United
States, the Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture,
the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of
Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of
Washington.