July 27, 2005

Governor Tim Pawlenty
State Capitol – Room 130
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55155-1606

Dear Governor Pawlenty:

We urge you to support federal legislation that would permanently protect 59 million acres of national forest lands, including 62,000 acres in Superior National Forest. The legislation, which will be introduced in Congress this week, enjoys bipartisan support, including that of Minnesota U.S. Representatives Jim Ramstad, Betty McCollum, and Martin Sabo.

With permanent protection, these lands will provide healthy habitat for fish, birds, and other wildlife; places for solitude and recreational activities for hunters, anglers, birdwatchers, paddlers, campers, hikers, kayakers, and skiers; and clean water for all. Protecting these wild areas ensures that the natural places we love today will be here for future generations.

You have a tremendous opportunity to honor your pledge to protect wildlife habitat, and we hope that you will illustrate this commitment with a letter to President Bush and the Minnesota Congressional delegation supporting the legislation.

We are aware that you are considering whether to petition the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture on the future of these 62,000 acres; however, rather than file this petition and later ask the State of Minnesota to spend an estimated $100,000 to conduct a public comment period, we urge you to support the federal legislation.

Minnesotans already have established their strong public support for protection of these lands. During the Bush Administration’s four-year review of the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, more than 24,000 Minnesotans submitted comments, including 97 percent favoring permanent protection of our roadless areas. Your support of the roadless area protection legislation would reinforce this strong sentiment.

The undersigned organizations urge you to support protecting these 62,000 acres of picturesque lands under the Roadless Area Conservation Act of 2005. Your support would be a boon to the conservation movement and to your legacy.

Sincerely,

Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness
American Public Information on the Environment
Audubon Minnesota
Communities for Responsible Energy/Environment Demonstration
Duluth Audubon Society
Izaak Walton League of America - Midwest
Izaak Walton League of America, Minnesota Division
Kids for Saving Earth
League of Women Voters - Minnesota
Leech Lake Area Watershed Foundation
Minnesota River Valley Audubon Chapter
Minnesota Catholic Conference
Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy
Minnesota Citizens Organized Acting Together (MN COACT)
Minnesota Ornithologists' Union
Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness
Save Lake Superior Association
Sierra Club, North Star Chapter
Voyageurs National Park Association
Women's Cancer Resource Center/Preventing Harm Minnesota