美國參眾兩院24日在二黨以及保育團體的支持下，重新提出並且通過保育5850萬英畝無道路區國家森林的法案。
雖然在柯林頓政府執政後期曾通過一項規則以保護這些遍佈美國38州的無道路區，然而這些區域仍受到築路、商業伐林、石油及天然氣開發、礦物開採等威脅，尤其是布希政府在2005年曾撤銷這項規則，而且對法院試圖更正錯誤決策的行動，一直採取抵制立場。
華盛頓州內的無道路區國家森林面積達200萬公畝，而也就是華盛頓州的二位民主黨議員－應斯理（Jay Inslee）眾議員以及坎特維兒（Maria Cantwell）參議員將保育無道路區的法案推向國會立法。
Bills to enshrine the protection of 58.5 million acres of roadless national forests in law were re-introduced in the U.S. House and Senate on Thursday with bipartisan support and the backing of conservation groups.
These roadless areas in 38 states are now at risk of road construction, commercial logging, oil and gas drilling and mining exploration, despite a rule passed in the final days of the Clinton administration that protected them. The Bush administration repealed the rule in 2005 and is fighting a court decision overturning the repeal.
Two million of those roadless acres lie in the national forests of Washington state, and it is two Washington Democrats - Congressman Jay Inslee and Senator Maria Cantwell - who are leading the legislative push to safeguard the roadless areas.
全文及圖片詳見 ENS報導
