In a truly heartwarming development for American commerce and progress, up to 58.5 million acres of Forest Service land could soon see roads for the first time. Imagine! No longer would woodchucks and other furry creatures need to hew to decrepit forest paths. Instead, they can use nifty new modern roads and listen to the charming sounds of logging and other delights. Our forests: truly lands of many uses. And, of course, it's all thanks to our own "conservative" stalwart defender, George W. Bush.

97% of the land in question is in these states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. 34.3 million of the acres are apparently on the front lines. New forest management plans would have to be written for the rest.

To put that in perspective, Oregon is 60 million acres. And, 58.5 million acres is more than half of California's acreage. On the other end, that's 80 Rhode Islands.

More information in "New rule opens national forest to roads". See also the enviro-whacko press release "Bush Administration Guts Protection for Roadless Forests".

Sane use of natural resources should be a conservative thing, not a loony "liberal" thing.