The RARE-II effort in Texas with emphasis on the proposed four- notch wilderness area on the Sam Houston National Forest.

This study examined the RARE-II effort of the Forest Service in Texas, and the postcard campaign concerning the Four-Notch proposed wilderness area on the Sam Houston National Forest. Fictitious postcards in the campaign triggered a controversial charge of fraudulent input to the decision process and a federal inquiry was conducted to measure the validity of the campaign. Respondents of the postcards charged the Forest Service with manipulation of data and disregard of public support for wilderness. The findings of this study indicate the postcard campaign was legally conducted and correctly analyzed by the Forest Service. The campaign did hold the Four-Notch area in temporary wilderness classification, but future resolution will require new initiatives and levels of understanding.