Administration of the Forest Development Transportation System; Temporary Suspension of Road Construction in Roadless Areas

On January 28, 1998, the Forest Service published in the Federal Register for public review and comment, a proposed interim rule that would, if adopted, temporarily suspend road construction and reconstruction in most roadless areas of the National Forest System. The public comment period was to end February 27, 1998. Several organizations have indicated that the 30-day review period is not sufficient time to review and analyze the proposed interim rule and its potential impacts on matters of interest to their organizations and have requested additional time to prepare comments. Additionally, some individuals and groups have also expressed a desire for the agency to hold public meetings on the proposed interim rule and the Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) which was also published in the Federal Register on January 28. Therefore, to facilitate public understanding and comment, the Forest Service has decided to extend the comment period through March 30, 1998, and to hold public meetings for the proposed interim rule and the ANPR.