The Bush administration opened up undeveloped areas of the largest U.S. national forest to logging on Tuesday, scrapping a Clinton-era rule aimed at protecting the wilderness.The Tongass is America's last old-growth temperate rain forest. But man, it's no good if it's not out there generating profit. Preferably for large GOP contributors.The U.S. Forest Service announced that it will exempt the Tongass National Forest in southeastern Alaska from a national rule prohibiting timber cutting in roadless areas. The decision means about 300,000 acres (121,400 hectares) of dense, old-growth rain forest will be available for logging.
The two sides [environmentalists, fishermen, and hunters vs. loggers] disagree about the effect of roads on the forest. Environmentalists say they damage the habitat, while development advocates say they allow local residents better access to the forest for a variety of uses.You know, that doesn't sound like they disagree about what the effect of the roads is, just about whether the effect is good or bad.