The U.S. Forest Service made final its rule for managing 9.3 million acres of roadless national forest in Idaho on Thursday, and environmental groups are split.

The Wilderness Society and the Greater Yellowstone Coalition opposed the plan because it opens 405,000 acres of roadless lands to full forest uses, including logging, road construction and phosphate mining. But the Idaho Conservation League and Trout Unlimited hailed the plan because it will allow temporary roads only in the acres of roadless area where limited logging will be allowed to reduce fire hazard.

"When the Idaho roadless rule takes effect, nearly one-half million acres of roadless forest - an amount twice the size of the Sawtooth Wilderness - will lose the protection they deserve," said Craig Gehrke, a Boise-based regional director for The Wilderness Society. "This is bad news for every American who enjoys our roadless forests for outdoor recreation opportunities and for the wide variety of wildlife that depend on these forests."

The plan designates 250 roadless areas and establishes five management themes that guide road construction, timber cutting and mineral development. It was published Thursday in the Federal Register and now supersedes the 2001 roadless rule put in place by the Clinton administration. That rule began a legal battle that has spawned 10 lawsuits. The most recent court decision, by U.S. District Judge Clarence Brimmer, tossed the Clinton rule for the second time.

"The protections provided by this rule demonstrate the importance Idahoans place on our rugged backcountry," said Jonathan Oppenheimer of the Idaho Conservation League. "This appreciation for the land and for Idaho traditions of hunting, camping, hiking and fishing led to a plan that will ensure that our kids and grandkids have the opportunity to experience Idaho at its best."

The plan modifies a proposal written by the state of Idaho under the guidance of then-Gov. Jim Risch in 2006. That plan would have returned 609,000 acres of now-roadless lands to general forest management, allowing permanent roads and logging. The new proposal, reached in talks with environmentalists, the timber industry and recreation groups, reduced the amount returned to general forest management to 405,000 acres.

The new plan also tightened restrictions on logging and road building in the largest previously designated roadless areas, the 5.3 million-acre backcountry restoration areas, to limit logging to 442,000 acres of new community protection zones.

Areas in Eastern Idaho where phosphate mining is expected were removed from roadless designation and declared general forest, where roads to the mineral areas will be permitted.

Critics said the new rule would result in 15,000 acres of logging and 50 miles of road construction in Idaho roadless areas during the next 15 years in order to haul out 75 million board feet of logs, or 15,000 truck loads, according to Forest Service estimates.

"Our concern is that most of the lands being released from all roadless protection by the Idaho Rule are in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem," said Craig Kenworthy, conservation director for the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. "These lands are important to hunters and anglers because of their wildlife and water quality values."

Rocky Barker: 377-6484