Forest work put on hold after Bush rule gets ax

Forest work put on hold after Bush rule gets ax: "Forest work put on hold after Bush rule gets ax
Logging - A judge deems public comment essential before dozens of Northwest projects can proceed
Friday, September 30, 2005

The U.S. Forest Service this week suspended more than 170 public land projects in Oregon and Washington, including 13 logging sales, after a judge revoked a Bush administration rule that eliminated public input on the work.

Administration officials issued the rule in 2003 to speed thinning of fire-prone trees under the Healthy Forest Initiative the president launched in the wake of Oregon's 2002 Biscuit fire. They promoted it as a tool to alleviate bureaucratic delays for smaller logging projects."