1.  And Thomas said many roadless area timber removals could be completed by helicopters without building roads.

2.  And while not specifically banned, off-road vehicle activity will likely be severely limited in the roadless areas because of their inaccessibility.

3.  A Dutch-owned company, Andalex Resources, is awaiting approval to construct a huge coal-mining operation in the heart of this largely roadless area.

4.  Advocates of the expanded protections contend that roadless areas encompass some of the cleanest, safest wildlife habitats in the nation.

5.  But road building in smaller roadless areas would be open to public debate.

6.  Controversy over roadless areas has persisted for decades.

7.  Environmentalists said the decisions bode poorly for the protection of other wilderness and roadless areas across the country.

8.  Environmentalists warned that the program threatens to harvest in roadless areas, which they want to keep road-free.

9.  Forest Service officials have said that simply banning road building would significantly reduce future logging in the roadless areas.

10.  However, the Bush administration has already put a hold on the roadless area conservation rule.