Comments on: Obama Keeps Roads Out of National Forests — For a Time http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/05/28/obama-keeps-roads-out-of-national-forests-for-a-time/ Covering the New York City Streets Renaissance Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:07:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Andy http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/05/28/obama-keeps-roads-out-of-national-forests-for-a-time/comment-page-1/#comment-68883 Andy Fri, 29 May 2009 00:19:01 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=6265#comment-68883 Deciding uses for national forests is much different then the question of whether or not we should build another 10-lane arterial or more mass transit in a major metropolitian area. For one thing, a 10-lane road has much bigger environmental impact then a rough packed-dirt one-lane wide pickup truck trail. An urban highway is about moving many cars, while a rural forest preserve road is about moving the few people who want to use a piece of land. That said, cars are noisy and there are many reasons we might not want to have vehicles in a certain area. People in cars/snowmobiles/atvs can easily haul in litter/illegal dumping. Roads also make it easier to extract materials like lumber and minereals, not an ideal proposition in truly wild areas. Moreover, wherever you have cars, your going to have noise from the cars driving down the road. Deciding uses for national forests is much different then the question of whether or not we should build another 10-lane arterial or more mass transit in a major metropolitian area.

For one thing, a 10-lane road has much bigger environmental impact then a rough packed-dirt one-lane wide pickup truck trail. An urban highway is about moving many cars, while a rural forest preserve road is about moving the few people who want to use a piece of land.

That said, cars are noisy and there are many reasons we might not want to have vehicles in a certain area. People in cars/snowmobiles/atvs can easily haul in litter/illegal dumping. Roads also make it easier to extract materials like lumber and minereals, not an ideal proposition in truly wild areas. Moreover, wherever you have cars, your going to have noise from the cars driving down the road.

]]> By: JM Palacios http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/05/28/obama-keeps-roads-out-of-national-forests-for-a-time/comment-page-1/#comment-68877 JM Palacios Thu, 28 May 2009 22:00:52 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=6265#comment-68877 If they ever really need pavement in an area like that, the technology is out there with permeable asphalt, permeable concrete, low-heat-absorbing surface treatments, to keep things greener. In fact, they should consider using such treatments in national parks that are currently covered with roads. If they ever really need pavement in an area like that, the technology is out there with permeable asphalt, permeable concrete, low-heat-absorbing surface treatments, to keep things greener. In fact, they should consider using such treatments in national parks that are currently covered with roads.

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