Forest Service Budget Reform Campaign

National Forest Road Construction and Maintenance

Taxpayers for Common Sense (TCS) supports limitations on road construction and development in our national forests as an effective way to reduce costly timber subsides and taxpayer-financed road construction and maintenance on the over 382,000-mile national forest road network. Such limitations could assist the Forest Service in bringing its $10 billion road maintenance backlog under control, while helping to reduce taxpayer losses incurred through the federal timber program. TCS is also researching how roadless areas could help to reduce future wildfire expenditures by indirectly helping the Forest Service set priorities for federal fire fighting resources. What's Happening: TCS Letter to Senate: Cosponsor the National Forest Roadless Area Conservation Act TCS statement on administration's changes to the Roadless Rule TCS public comment to Forest Service opposing Roadless Rule changes Economists oppose administration's proposed Roadless Rule changes (also see related AP Story) READ MORE about the administration's plan for roadless areas TCS statement on the taxpayer implications of the administration dismantling of the Roadless Rule Road Wrecked: Why the Forest Service Road Maintenance Backlog is Bad for Taxpayers More... TCS Briefs Lawmakers on Cost of Exempting Tongass from Roadless Rule More... Economists Criticize Forest Service Over $10 Billion Road Backlog More... Millions of Taxpayer Dollars Lost to Logging, Road Building in Alaska More... TCS Roadless Fact Sheets: Roadless Area Protection Makes Sense for Taxpayers (pdf) Tongass Logging and Road Building Siphons Federal Funds (pdf) Letters Supporting National Forest Road Construction Limits: Professional Economists: October 22, 2004 (pdf) December 18, 2003 (pdf) North American Gun Clubs: November 11, 2003 (pdf) Scientists: June 30, 2002 (pdf) May 1, 2001 (pdf) October 9, 2000 (pdf) Religious Organizations/Leaders: July 17, 2003 (pdf) July 17, 2003 (pdf) April 30, 2001 (pdf) For more information on the roadless debate, visit our Roadless History and Recent Events web-site. Link to US Forest Service Roadless Area Conservation Website For more information on this issue please contact our forest campaign staff at 202-546-8500, or forest@taxpayer.net.