President Bill Clinton next week plans to announce an initiative to protect as many as 40 million acres (16.2 million hectares) of national forest from development, White House officials said. Environmentalists said it could represent one of the most significant conservation efforts in U.S. history, while timber and paper industry representatives said it could harm local economies. Clinton plans to direct the U.S. Forest Service to prepare an environmental analysis of how best to protect wide stretches of forest still undeveloped. The plan would affect land in 35 states, but most is in the Rocky Mountains and California.