Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack — who has jurisdiction over the management of National Forests — announced an interim rule today aimed at protecting inventoried roadless areas until the Obama Administration can develop a long-term policy for these wild forests. The rule, which expires in one year, requires that Vilsack sign off on any road construction or logging projects in roadless areas. The new rule prevents individual forest supervisors from approving projects that are inconsistent with Obama's commitment to protecting our remaining roadless forests. The rule also applies to the Tongass National Forest in Alaska, our largest National Forest which had been excluded from the Roadless Rule under the Bush Administration. Click here to read the full order.