A federal judge in Northern California issued a final injunction Tuesday that protects 52 million acres nationwide from a repeal of the 2001 Clinton roadless rule.

U.S. District Judge Elizabeth D. Laporte included language in her decision preventing roads and surface disturbance related to energy development, though oil and gas deposits would still be available through directional drilling.

Though the issue is bound to face more legal challenges, Laporte’s order strikes down the Bush administration’s repeal of the roadless rule and requirement that governors petition the federal government to protect roadless areas in their states. The matter came before Laporte after conservation groups, including the Wilderness Society, took the repeal to court.

Laporte in September said the administration’s action violated federal law because it did not undergo the necessary environmental studies.

The roadless rule protects 3.25 million acres in Wyoming, including 1.43 million acres in Bridger-Teton National Forest, 687,000 acres in Shoshone, 621,000 acres in Bighorn, and 319,000 acres in Medicine Bow National Forest.

“This is really good news for Wyoming because the Bighorn National Forest left a large proportion of its roadless areas open to logging and road construction,” said Erik Molvar, spokesman for the Biodiversity Conservation Alliance, The ruling could also affect Bridger-Teton National Forest, where thousands of roadless acres could be considered for oil and gas development as Forest Service officials rewrite the Bridger-Teton Forest Management Plan.

“This is great news for anybody who hunts, fishes, likes watching wildlife, or anybody who likes to recreate in the backcountry,” Molvar said. “Roadless areas are particularly important security habitat for Wyoming’s elk populations and consequently provide some of the best hunting in the world.”

Molvar said roadless areas serve as critically important watershed lands throughout the West, providing drinking water for many communities and pristine waterways for several rare trout species.

Tim Preso, spokesman for the Wilderness Society, said, “This case was an important victory for people who care about wild national forest lands. We know this fight isn’t over and we will continue to do our best to see that these lands are protected.”

Wile conservation groups called the decision a victory, they said the Bush administration and several states, including Wyoming, would likely continue to litigate the issue.

On July 14, 2003, Wyoming U.S. District Court Judge Clarence Brimmer issued a decision blocking implementation of Clinton’s roadless rule, a decision that was subsequently nullified by the repeal. But on Feb. 26, the state will try to revive Brimmer’s decision.

“It’s clear that there are certain forces out there that oppose roadless area conservation who are eager to appeal this,” Molvar said. “Litigation is likely to continue for a long time before everyone has exhausted their appeals.”