Sadly, we are here today because the Bush Administration needs to be held accountable for its contradictory words and actions concerning its irresponsible national forest management policy.

Three years ago, Agriculture Secretary Veneman promised to uphold the "roadless rule", a rule that was put in place after generating 2.5 million public comments to protect one third of our national forests from road building in sensitive lands.

Attorney General John Ashcroft promised to defend the rule during his Senate confirmation hearing.

And President Bush spent this past Earth Day proclaiming his commitment to protecting wetlands.

When members of President Bush’s cabinet assured the public they would uphold this common sense rule, I was cautiously optimistic President Bush would see the forest for the trees and honor this popular policy.

Yet in an unabashed attempt to appease its industry friends, this administration has been secretly plotting to dismantle the rule that protects thousands of acres of wetlands across the country.

Despite the previous promises of his surrogates, President Bush appears poised to add to his resume of business blunders by gutting the "roadless rule", as Agriculture Undersecretary Mark Rey has recently stated that changes to the rule are "imminent".

A rule that would not only allow for conservation of pristine lands that serve as watersheds and species habitat, but for the government to play catch up and allocate funding towards the $10 billion backlog on capital improvements and maintenance duties on existing forest roads.

Existing roads that measure 380,000 miles, a length that is double the numbers of miles in the entire National Highway System.

While originally built for timber harvesting, these roads now serve as vital arteries for rural America, linking small towns and businesses. Neglecting the economic necessity along with the public health and safety concerns of these roads is outrageous.

And adding to an infrastructure system that the Forest Service has demonstrated it cannot maintain is not sound business policy.

Today I call on Americans to take notice of how this administration is manhandling not only your national forests, but the right to have your voices influence public land management decisions. Today we are holding them accountable.