Save the Roadless Rule

Enacted in 2001 with broad bipartisan support, the Roadless Area Conservation Rule protects 45 million acres of national forest lands across the US. Now the Trump admistration proposes to rescind this rule and open these wildlands to road building, logging, mining, and other commercial uses. Until September 21, the public can comment on this proposed action to deep six a bedrock conservation measure before a final decision is made.

In my April 2 blog post this year, I explained both the value of maintaining the Roadless Rule and how rolling back the rule is little more than a giveaway to corporate interests to get at the public's natural resources on an additional 45 million acres of our lands. Keeping the Roadless Rule in place is supported by a broad spectrum of the public.

How can you comment? Submit a written comment online at https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/FS-2025-0001-223869 Or, most conservation organizations make it simple and quick to submit through their portal with text that's already prepared in opposition to this action. For example, Wild Montana's website provides such a opportunity to comment at https://wildmontana.org/roadless-rule/

This would be a major rollback of public lands protection and stewardship. Once a roadless area is roaded and degraded its intrinsic values cannot be recovered.  I encourage you to make your voice heard.