Wilderness rules restored for public lands (Interior to overturn Bush era policy)

[pinto]

Wilderness rules restored for public lands

By Kristen Wyatt, Associated Press


DENVER – The Obama administration plans to undo a Bush-era policy that barred the recommendation of new wilderness areas, making millions of undeveloped acres of land once again eligible for federal wilderness protection, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said Thursday.

Salazar said his agency will repeal 2003's so-called "No More Wilderness" policy adopted under former Interior Secretary Gale Norton. That policy stated that new areas could not be recommended for wilderness protection by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. It opened millions of acres in the Rocky Mountain region to potential commercial development.

Environmental activists have been calling on the Obama administration to restore protections for potential wilderness areas. Salazar announced Thursday that the agency will resume evaluating lands that could be designated as wilderness areas.

"Americans love the wild places where they hunt, fish, hike, and get away from it all, and they expect these lands to be protected wisely on their behalf," Salazar said in a statement.

The BLM has six months to submit a plan for new wilderness evaluations.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101223/ap_on_re_us/us_wilderness_rules

[SpiralHawk]

1. "I am so disappointapated. Sneer." - xCommander AWOL (R)

"Freaking stinkin trees and wilderness and shit like that do not make any cashmoneybucks profits for RepubliCorp, Inc. Damn it."

- xCommander AWOL (R)

[beam me up scottie]

3. Is that a Fisher Price chainsaw?

I've never seen one so little.

Seriously, does it have a plug or rechargeable batteries?

[FiveGoodMen]

2. THAT'S good news.

[beam me up scottie]

4. I hope they repeal the policy before too many roads have been cut into existing wilderness areas.

It's impossible to keep people (poachers, illegal logging and recreational vehicles) out after the fact.