The roadless rule was established in 2001 by President Bill Clinton, in order to protect large reserves of wilderness that remained unpaved. The roadless rule has been disputed in court since then, as logging and oil companies continually attempted to strike the roadless rule down. While the Bush administration showed scanty support for the roadless rule, the tides seem to be turning under the new administration. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack of Seattle, has recently announced that the Obama administration fully supports the roadless rule. He added that if courts cannot settle the issue, the administration will create its own roadless rule to protect these untouched national forests. Find the article at the Los Angeles Times here.