Why The Republican Party is Bad for America - #7

On May 5, 2005, the Bush administration rolled back rules promulgated by President Clinton protecting 32 million acres of US national forest from road building. Instead, state governors were given a primary role in deciding on the development of the land, opening it up for housing, timber cutting, and mining. The New York Times said environmental groups were outraged by the new rule, "which they variously characterized as emasculated, Kafkaesque and a sham." The official in charge of the Forest Service, meanwhile, stated, "Our approach will protect roadless values."