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Congress has doubled the amount of money that will be spent on repairing and retiring old roads that damage water quality in Northwest forests.

Environmental groups and regulatory agencies have been advocating for a reduction in the U.S. Forest Service's massive network for roads, which are a legacy of the extensive logging that took place in federal forests over the course of the 20th century.

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The giant evergreens of the West have long been proclaimed essential, whether the cause was saving salmon and spotted owls or small towns and their sawmills. Now, with evidence showing that American forests store 15 percent or more of the carbon gases produced in the nation, expectations are growing for them to do even more.
 

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This month, the Agriculture Department returned to the Forest Service the authority to undertake certain projects in roadless forests without the secretary's approval.

Specifically, local land managers are now free to approve the "cutting, sale, or removal of generally small diameter timber when needed for one of the following purposes:

…That's according to a letter (PDF) from Joel Holtrop, deputy chief of the national forest system, to regional and local forest officials.

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The unlikely alliance (of contractors and environmental groups) is being played out in other parts of the country, including Montana where two projects are slated to begin next year in the Lolo National Forest. A project is also planned for the oft-contentious Bitterroot National Forest, said Marnie Criley, coordinator of the Montana Forest Restoration Committee.

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Most people do not realize the impact our nation's forests have upon their daily lives. Forests provide countless recreational activities, alternative energy possibilities, local economic benefits, and wildlife habitats all across our country on public and private lands.