Ag Chief Protects Wilderness Senate Wouldn’t Order Bans Commercial Work On The 1.7 Million Acres Of Roadless National Forest Included In Montana Wilderness Bill Passed By House

The Clinton administration will issue an administrative order protecting some 1.7 million acres of roadless national forest in Montana as wilderness, Rep. Pat Williams announced Wednesday.

Williams, D-Mont., said Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman notified him Wednesday that he was issuing an order to protect all lands that were included in the last Montana wilderness bill to pass the U.S. House.

The bill failed to pass the Senate.

The administrative order remains in effect until repealed by Glickman or his successor as agriculture secretary, or until it is superseded by an act of Congress, Williams said.

It will have the effect of banning mining, oil and gas exploration, logging and other commercial development on some 1.7 million acres of national forest in Montana.

The order also will protect an estimated 300,000 acres of lands designated in other categories, mainly national recreation areas.

Williams had asked Glickman earlier this month to prohibit logging and oil and gas exploration on the lands while Congress continues to debate a Montana wilderness bill.

He said some 15 years of stalemate over a wilderness bill had prevented any final decision on the fate of the roadless forest land. Forest managers now are preparing timber sales on roadless tracts that have been subject of the debate.

But while stalemates, and in one case a presidential veto, have prevented the bills from becoming law, all the lands in question have been approved for protection by the House in past votes, Williams argued. He said that justified an administrative order suspending development until Congress finally passes a bill.

He announced Wednesday that Glickman had agreed.

“Secretary Glickman has agreed to my request and is directing the undersecretary of agriculture for the Forest Service to move to protect the most important wild lands within Montana,” Williams said.

He said the first impact will come in the Beaverhead National Forest, where the Forest Service was about to approve oil and gas leases in areas being considered for wilderness protection.

“With this directive the Forest Service is required to not lease in any Forest Service areas of the Beaverhead that were protected under my bill,” Williams said Wednesday.

Cary Hegreberg, executive vice president of the Montana Wood Products Association, criticized the decision, saying the Williams bill that passed earlier “would be dead on arrival” in Congress Wednesday.

“It comes as no surprise that Representative Williams and the Clinton administration have once again maneuvered to circumvent the intent of Congress,” he said.

“It’s very frustrating to hear that, when most policy-makers recognize the importance of maintaining healthy forests through salvage and selective logging, the Clinton administration continually thwarts efforts to maintain those forest health initiatives.

“Clinton and Williams would rather see that timber burn up, than be managed for healthy forests.”

He said the order takes effect immediately and will remain in effect until repealed or superseded.

Williams noted that Glickman voted for the Montana wilderness bill when he was a congressman, and was among 314 votes in favor of the wilderness protections.

Since then, the Republican Party has taken control of both the House and Senate, and the majorities are far less friendly to wilderness bills.

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