25,000 Miles of Trails Threatened as Roadless Rule Comes Under Attack

A decades-old conservation rule that protects nearly a third of America’s national forests is under threat, with a proposed repeal that could significantly impact thru-hikers and outdoor enthusiasts.

What Is The Roadless Rule?

The Roadless Area Conservation Rule, commonly known as the Roadless Rule, is a U.S. federal regulation that prohibits new road construction and logging on nearly 45 million acres of inventoried roadless areas within national forests. Its purpose is to preserve the wild, undeveloped character of these lands, protecting their ecological and recreational value.

The concept of protecting roadless areas gained traction in the 1970s as the Forest Service began to assess and inventory millions of acres of national forests. The first major effort, the Roadless Area Review and Evaluation (RARE) program, was an attempt to identify lands suitable for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System. 

Trees in the White Mountain National Forest. Photo

In 2001, after decades of ongoing debate and legal battles, the Roadless Rule was finalized and adopted in the final days of the Clinton administration. The rule was a landmark conservation achievement, protecting vast areas of public land from new roads and logging, and becoming one of the most significant land management decisions in U.S. history.

Since its inception, the Roadless Rule has faced numerous legal and political challenges. The George W. Bush administration attempted to repeal it, and it has been the subject of multiple court cases. Some states, such as Idaho and Colorado, have even sought their own, state-specific versions of the rule. Despite these challenges, the core of the 2001 rule has largely remained in place, and it continues to be a cornerstone of backcountry conservation.

Why Would One Want The Rule Rescinded?

As the U.S. Department of Agriculture responds to President Trump’s desire to increase logging in National Forests, they have initiated a rulemaking process to rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. They are currently seeking public feedback; comments must be received by September 19th. 

Submit Feedback through the Federal Register

The arguments in favor of rescinding the Roadless Rule generally fall into three categories: economic interests, natural resource management, and local control. Economically, removing the rule would allow for greater logging and timber harvesting, increased construction of infrastructure needed for mining and oil and gas drilling operations, and other industries, such as gravel extraction.

Within natural resource management, some argue roads are essential for accessing remote areas to perform controlled burns, create firebreaks, and conduct logging to remove dead or diseased trees that fuel large wildfires. Opponents of the rule say that it is a contributing factor to the increasing size and severity of wildfires in the West.

Another argument against the Roadless Rule is that it is a “one-size-fits-all” federal mandate that doesn’t account for the unique needs and conditions of individual states or local communities.

Arguments in Favor of the Roadless Rule

Those in favor of keeping the Roadless Rule also tend to point to economic interests, natural resources, and local control, while also speaking to environmental degradation and a desire for pristine, untouched wilderness.

While industries like logging and mining offer economic benefits, they often come at the expense of a much larger and more sustainable economic engine: outdoor recreation.

The outdoor recreation economy is a massive and growing sector, generating $1.2 trillion in economic output and supporting over 5 million American jobs in 2023. These businesses rely on the unspoiled nature of roadless areas to attract visitors and thrive. Short-term resource extraction can permanently damage these landscapes, threatening the long-term economic vitality of communities that depend on recreation and tourism.

Trees in the White River National Forest. Photo

There is also significant pushback against the idea that repealing the Roadless Rule would reduce the number of wildfires in the American West, as this argument often misrepresents where the majority of fires and their damage occur. Most destructive wildfires happen in the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) — areas where homes and developments meet wildlands — not in the remote backcountry.

The solution to these fires lies in better management of the WUI and creating defensible space around homes, not in building roads into pristine areas. Furthermore, roadless areas often contain natural firebreaks, and the increased access from new roads can actually lead to more human-caused ignitions, as 85% of wildfires in the U.S. are started by people.

While local input is valuable, the Roadless Rule protects a national resource that belongs to all Americans, not just those living in proximity to the land. These roadless areas provide critical ecosystem services that benefit millions of people far beyond their immediate location. For example, national forests and grasslands supply drinking water to nearly 90% of the people in the Western U.S., and this clean water is dependent on healthy, undeveloped watersheds.

Allowing a patchwork of state-specific rules could lead to inconsistent protection, jeopardizing vital water sources and fragmenting critical wildlife habitats. The rule provides a consistent, science-based standard that protects national treasures.

How to Take Action

This proposed repeal is not a done deal. The public has a limited window to submit comments and voice their opinions on the matter. This process is a direct way for citizens to influence federal land management policy. You can do this in three different ways:

Submit a Public Comment: Individuals can submit formal comments through the Federal Register. The public comment period is a critical step in the rulemaking process, and a high volume of comments in favor of the rule can influence the final decision.

Contact Representatives: Reaching out to state representatives and congressional leaders to express support for the Roadless Rule and its importance for public lands is another powerful way to take action.

Engage with Conservation Groups: Organizations like the Sierra Club and the Outdoor Alliance are actively fighting to preserve the Roadless Rule. Following their updates and supporting their campaigns provides a way to stay informed and contribute to a collective effort.

Submit a Comment through the Federal Register