Schweitzer and Montanans 1, Bush 0

Let's be thankful that there IS someone who is overriding some of the decisions of President Bush. Here's yet another example of an unfunded mandate from the feds, pushing for something the citizens of the state don't desire or see as beneficial. Big Business does, of course:

Bush roadless forest rules thrown out
By PERRY BACKUS of the Missoulian

A federal judge in California on Wednesday reinstated a Clinton administration ban on development in portions of national forest lands designated as roadless.

The ruling overturns a Bush administration rule that allowed states to decide how to manage individual forests.

U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Laporte sided with states and 20 environmental groups that sued the U.S. Forest Service after it reversed Clinton's 2001 “roadless rule” that prohibited logging, mining and other development on 58.5 million acres of public land in 38 states.

In Montana, Laporte's decision affects about 6 million acres of national forest land.

Last May, the Bush administration replaced the rule with a process that required governors to petition the federal government to protect national forest roadless lands in their states.

But Laporte ruled that the process violated federal law because it didn't require the necessary environmental studies.

Hal Harper, Gov. Brian Schweitzer's chief policy adviser, said Montana will continue forward with the petition process until it hears otherwise from the courts.

The governor's office has been working with county commissioners and other Montanans to put together the state's roadless petition. Harper said he's confident the state's petition would be completed by the November deadline set the Bush administration.

“We'd like very much to hear from the court if they think we shouldn't continue forward with that process,” Harper said.

To read the rest, go here.