July 24, 2008 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – At a House Natural Resources committee hearing today, Congressman Bill Sali questioned the Forest Service on its efforts to ensure access to public lands to people with disabilities. 

“My 84 year-old mother can only walk with a walker, but still enjoys the outdoors.  With a number of outdoor activities, including off-highway vehicle use, at stake when forest management decisions are made, I am concerned that my mother and others like her will have no meaningful way of enjoying our public lands,” said Sali.

“I know the Forest Service is in the process of instituting travel plans in forests across the country, including travel plans in my district.  It is my sincere hope that consideration and planning will ensue to assure that Americans with disabilities are given access to public lands.” 

Sali reaffirmed this concern regarding access by Americans with disabilities in wilderness areas.  “As I have brought up in hearings before this committee in the past, I am always concerned when additional wilderness is proposed or designated because of the very real potential that such a designation would deny Americans with disabilities, access to those same public lands.  Public lands should be available for everyone - including the elderly and people with disabilities - not just a select few.”   

Janet Zeller, the Forest Service Accessibility Program Manager, echoed Sali’s thoughts saying, “I am an avid wilderness recreator, Mr. Sali, so I really appreciate your recognition that folks with disabilities are interested in recreating in wilderness.”

Today, there are an estimated 54 million U.S. residents with disabilities and 193 million acres of National Forest System lands that receive more than 334 million recreation visits each year.    

Sali has consistently championed access to public lands for recreation, grazing, mining, logging and hunting.