Dale Bosworth
Chief, US Forest Service

Then: Bosworth is a career forester, having served with the Forest Service for more than three decades. At the time of his appointment in May, 2001, Bosworth was praised by outgoing Forest Service boss Mike Dombeck, who noted that Bosworth "led development of the roads rule."

			· Related Places · The Tongass National Forest · The Northern Sierra Nevada · Related Policies · The Roadless Rule · Forest Protection · Categorical Exclusions E-mail article Print article · E-mail the editor

Now: When he was appointed, Bosworth affirmed his support for the Clinton-era roadless rule. Since then, however, he has emerged as the point man in the administration's campaign to gut the regulation. In August of 2001, Bosworth issued an interim directive placing all decisions regarding roadless areas in his hands, unless the national forest in question has a revised management plan. Of course, the Tongass National Forest in Alaska has such a plan, meaning that new logging there requires no national-level approval. This has opened the way for logging in 9.7 million acres of forest that should be protected by the roadless rule. Additionally, under his watch, the Forest Service has refused to designate any more of the Tongass as wilderness.

In October of 2001, Bosworth again lifted restrictions on industry use of public lands, asking Interior Secretary Gale Norton to lift a 2-year moratorium on new mining activities affecting 1.15 million acres of federal land in Southern Oregon.

© 2003 The Foundation for National Progress

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