On February 9, 2006 Washington State Governor Christine Gregoire announced that our state would join three other western states (California, Oregon and New Mexico) in a lawsuit to force the Bush administration to implement the Clinton Roadless Area Rule. The Governor made this decision following her petition to the administration to protect all Roadless Areas in the state of Washington. A number of environmental organizations, including OFCO, thanked the Governor in a formal letter.
On March 2, a large number of conservation groups around the country entered their own Citizen's Petition (allowed under the Administrative Procedures Act) to obtain full Roadless Area protection. 250,000-plus individuals signed the petition, including over 11,000 Washingtonians.
On March 16, eighteen regional conservation groups, again including OFCO, submitted a letter to Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth, requesting that a moratorium be declared on proposed projects within Roadless Areas while legal issues are still being resolved.
Congressman Jay Inslee and others have introduced legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives that would codify the Clinton Roadless Rule. Meanwhile, Senator Maria Cantwell and allies have also introduced a companion bill in the U.S. Senate.
