There's still time to weigh in on the Bush administration's proposal to sell off 300,000 acres of national forest land to fund rural schools. The public comment period has been extended, and meanwhile two Western senators have come up with a plan they say funds the schools without selling off public lands.

Democrats Max Baucus of Montana and Ron Wyden of Oregon proposed cutting a tax loophole that lets some government contractors avoid paying taxes. Closing this loophole would bring in $2.6 billion over the next decade, the senators say, more than tripling the amount expected to come from the public land sale.

An interactive map shows the lands that could go on the block if the Bush administration plan goes forward. To comment on the proposed forest sale, send an email to SRS_Land_Sales@fs.fed.us.

Photo credit: WyomingTourism.org