Murkowski, who heads the Senate Energy committee, also opposes closing the land to development because the forestland could hold as much as 23 trillion cubic feet of natural gas -- roughly the equivalent of one year’s supply for the United States.

Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne, a Republican, was also expected to file a federal lawsuit this year. A lawsuit initially brought by Kempthorne was dismissed last spring because the Forest Service had not yet issued its study.

Critics argue the Forest Service’s process was flawed because it did not give enough time and information to the public to comment on its findings.

Timber groups argued that prohibiting harvesting would result in uncontrollable forest growth and could result in more wildfires, hurt local economies and cost jobs. They argue that Clinton has succumbed to pressure from environmentalists without analyzing the potential risks to the unharvested forest land.

Clinton's "objective is to satisfy radical environmentalists rather than taking the scientific approach to managing one of the greatest natural resources in this nation," said Paul Houghland, executive manager for the National Hardwood Association, which represents more than 1,700 producers and users of hardwood lumber. "We would support (legal) action and working with Congress to make certain those lands stay open," he added.

The American Forest & Paper Association, which represents 250 timber companies in the United States, called Clinton’s order "disastrous." "Any incoming administration should look at these kinds of midnight decisions, and we hope the Bush administration reverses it," said Michael Klein, a spokesman for the forest and paper group.