CHEYENNE - Gov. Dave Freudenthal told supervisors of Wyoming's eight national forests that he remains doubtful of the merits of the Bush administration's plan allowing states to petition the Forest Service to change the use of roadless areas.

Under federal rules issued in May, governors may submit petitions to halt road-building in national forest areas where it is now permitted or request that new forest management plans allow roads in areas where they are off-limits.

During a meeting Tuesday in his office, Freudenthal offered the scenario of the Forest Service holding a hearing on a state roadless petition and a few days later holding another hearing on the same issue as part of overall forest plan revisions.

The governor noted that management plans for two of the state's larger forests, the Shoshone and the Bridger-Teton, are just beginning. Because both the state and local governments are given "cooperating agency" status in conventional forest planning, the state might be better off sticking with that process, Freudenthal said.

Just like with conventional planning, the federal government would retain final say over any petition, he said.

"I don't see a legal basis for you to arrive at a different conclusion than you've already arrived at," he said of offering a petition vs. existing planning.

Brent Larson, deputy supervisor of the Bridger-Teton, said the governor might be "right on" to seek changes to roadless areas through the existing process.

Of approximately 9 million acres of national forest land in Wyoming, 3.2 million are designated as roadless.

Capital bureau reporter Robert W. Black can be reached at (307) 632-1244 or robert.black@casperstartribune.net.