Sep 19, The Roadless Rule – Take Action, Inform and Advise

Take Action, , ,

Take Action to Preserve the US Forest Service Roadless Rule Comment by Sept 19th

Take Action to Preserve the US Forest Service Roadless Rule Comment by Sept 19th

The USDA Forest Service is rescinding the roadless rule implemented to protect forests without roads in 2001. This is a clear grab for us and our children to pay to open forests up for logging. Many of these roadless forest properties have near Wilderness qualities and are in many cases adjacent to declared Wilderness. Help preserve connected wild lands to promote wildlife protection, watersheds, reduce human-caused wildfires and current and ongoing costs.
We recommend telling the Forest Service you support preserving undefiled forest property.  

The public comment period is open through the Federal Register.
Comments must be received in writing no later than September 19, 2025:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/08/29/2025-16581/special-areas-roadless-area-conservation-national-forest-system-lands

Make your views known. Comment above and
Contact your Elected Representatives:
Senator Mike Lee
Senator John R Curtis
Blake Moore
Celeste Maloy
Mike Kennedy
Burgess Owens

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Lands currently under the 2001 Roadless Rule

The 2001 Roadless Rule established prohibitions on road construction, road reconstruction, and timber harvesting in nearly 60 million acres inventoried roadless areas, with limited exceptions. Today, the 2001 Roadless Rule applies to nearly 45 million acres of National Forest System lands, including in Alaska.

The 2020 Alaska Roadless Rule, which exempted the Tongass National Forest in Alaska from roadless protections, was repealed on Jan. 27, 2023, returning the inventoried roadless areas of the forest to management under the 2001 Roadless Rule. For more information see the project documents.

The 2001 Roadless Rule no longer applies to more than 9 million acres in Idaho and more than 4 million acres in Colorado. Those state-specific roadless rules supersede 2001 rule. –more–

Inventoried Roadless Areas on National Forest System Lands Courtesy USDA Forest Service

Inventoried Roadless Areas on National Forest System Lands
Courtesy USDA Forest Service

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USDA Forest Service Press Releases For Removing the Roadless Rule:

Secretary Rollins Opens Next Step in the Roadless Rule Rescission, USDA Press Release 0207.25, August 27, 2025, https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2025/08/27/secretary-rollins-opens-next-step-roadless-rule-rescission

Secretary Rollins Rescinds Roadless Rule, Eliminating Impediment to Responsible Forest Management, Forest Service Press Release, USDA Press Release 0141.25, June 23, 2005, https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2025/06/23/secretary-rollins-rescinds-roadless-rule-eliminating-impediment-responsible-forest-management  

USDA Forest Service Roadless Areas
https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/planning/roadless

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Media Background and Pieces Against Removing the Roadless Rule:

Dunphey, Kyle, Roadless forests in Utah are far more valuable for fish and wildlife habitat and recreation than for timber production, Utah News Dispatch | Jun 30, 2025, https://www.heraldextra.com/news/2025/jun/30/what-the-end-of-the-roadless-rule-could-mean-for-utahs-national-forests/

Voices: Rescinding the Roadless Rule will damage the Wasatch Range,
https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/commentary/2025/09/02/voices-rescinding-roadless-rule/

Anderson, Mike, USDA seeks public feedback as it intends to roll back 2001 Roadless Rule, September 1, 2025,
https://ksltv.com/local-news/roadless-rule-changes/814475/

Evans, Tony Tekaroniake, Express Staff Writre, Idaho Insulated From Roadless Rule Repeal, Idaho Mountain Express, Jul 11, 2025, https://www.mtexpress.com/news/environment/idaho-insulated-from-roadless-rule-repeal/article_09ec7c16-9e18-4f4c-895c-5213689f8d6c.html

Peterson, Tim, Roadless forests in Utah are far more valuable for fish and wildlife habitat and recreation than for timber production. Grand Canyon Trust, July 29, 2025, https://www.grandcanyontrust.org/blog/roadless-forests-in-utah-and-why-they-matter/ 

Grable, Juliet, Trump Wants to Rescind the Roadless Rule. What Does That Mean?, Sierra, The Sierra Club, July 27, 2025, https://www.sierraclub.org/Sierra/roadless-rule-trump-wants-rescind-what-does-that-mean

What is the “Roadless Rule”?, Sierra Club-Oregon Chapter, July 31, 2025, https://www.sierraclub.org/oregon/blog/2025/07/what-roadless-rule

Earthjustice Responds as Trump Administration Takes Aim at Longstanding Rule Protecting National Forestlands, Earthjustice, June 23, 2025,
https://earthjustice.org/press/2025/earthjustice-responds-as-trump-administration-takes-aim-at-longstanding-rule-protecting-national-forestlands

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This is not the first time that our protected lands have been endangered. Learn about the efforts of Bernard and Avis DeVoto to protect wild places:

“In late-1940s America, few writers commanded attention like Bernard DeVoto. Alongside his brilliant wife and editor, Avis, DeVoto was a firebrand of American liberty, free speech, and perhaps our greatest national treasure: public lands. But when a corrupt band of lawmakers, led by Senator Pat McCarran, sought to quietly cede millions of acres of national parks and other western lands to logging, mining, and private industry, the DeVotos entered the fight of their lives. Bernard and Avis built a broad grassroots coalition to sound the alarm—from Julia and Paul Child to Ansel Adams, Arthur Schlesinger Jr., Alfred Knopf, Adlai Stevenson, and Wallace Stegner—while the very pillars of American democracy, embodied in free and public access to Western lands, hung in the balance. Their dramatic crusade would earn them censorship and blacklisting by Joe McCarthy, J. Edgar Hoover, and Roy Cohn, and it even cost Bernard his life. –more–“

Schweber, Nate, This America of Ours: Bernard and Avis DeVoto and the Forgotten Fight to Save the Wild, Mariner Books (HBH), 2022,
https://www.amazon.com/This-America-Ours-Bernard-Forgotten-ebook/dp/B0971ZM5PR/
https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780358438816
https://www.harpercollins.com/products/this-america-of-ours-nate-schweber?variant=40896204046370

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Bridgerland Audubon statement on political advocacy as a 501(c)3 Public Charity/Non-profit organization https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/about-us-faq/#about-us-faq-politics

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August 25, National Park Service Birthday

Community Events

August 25, 1916

The National Park Service was created on August 25, 1916 to “preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.”
https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/nps-birthday.htm
National Parks Conservation Association https://www.npca.org/about/our-story/
National Park Foundation https://www.nationalparks.org/

Utah National Parks, Monuments and Historic Sites managed by the National Park Service:
The Big Five:
Arches National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park
Capitol Reef National Park
Canyonlands National Park
Zion National Park

Nearby Park Service Managed Sites:
Golden Spike National Historic Site
Cedar Breaks National Monument
Dinosaur National Monument
Hovenweep National Monument
Natural Bridges National Monument
Pipe Spring National Monument(Border Utah/Arizona)
Rainbow Bridge National Monument
Timpanogos Cave National Monument

Visit our Public Lands Preservation Page: https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/public-lands-preservation/

Aug 23, Birding with Bridgerland Audubon at the Amalga Barrens

Field Trips, , , , , ,

Birding with Bridgerland Audubon at the Amalga Barrens:

Cinnamon Teal Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge 05-11-2020
Courtesy & Copyright Chris Crook
Cache Valley Wild Bird Photo Contest 2021
One of the species that may be seen
Saturday August 23, 2025
Birding with Bridgerland Audubon at the Amalga Barrens.

 

We met at 7 AM in Logan and caravaned to the Amalga Town Hall where we met up with a few more people. Kim Sullivan had checked out 4 walkie-talkies from USU to have one in each vehicle as we planned to be mostly driving. Meg Kast also helped to co-lead this trip. We had 4 vehicles, 3 with leaders and radios in each. Fifteen people participated in this event.

Because of the excessively dry summer no shorebirds were using this area at the time except for Killdeer. We did also see Horned Larks, a Virginia Rail, Northern Harrier, Savannah Sparrow and Brewer’s Sparrow. Singing Western Meadowlarks was a highlight of the trip. A total of 22 species were found. One benefit of the drought was a shortage of mosquitoes!

Trip leader Dawn Holzer (dawnholzer80@gmail.com, 435-799-1991)

***** Future Events & Trip Reports *****

January 25 – First Dam and USU Water Lab
February 22 – Trapper Park and Logan River Icon Trail
March 22 – Wellsville Reservoir
April 12 – Sue’s Pond – Logan River Wetlands and Shorebird Playa
May 17 – Third Dam/Spring Hollow
June 21 – Bud Phelps Wildlife Management Area
July 19 – Tony Grove
August 23 – Amalga Barrens
September 27 – Benson Marina and Railroad Trail
October 25 – King Nature Park and Green Canyon
November 22 – Hyrum Reservoir and State Park
December 6 – Lundstrom Park Trail

***** Background, the Amalga Barrens *****

eBird:
Birdlist for the Amalga Barrens: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L693440/bird-list
Recent Checklists for the Amalga Barrens: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L693440/recent-checklists
Media Images for the Amalga Barrens: https://media.ebird.org/catalog?regionCode=L693440

Signed waivers required for all participants. Complete form, print results and bring printed waiver to meeting point.

Aug 2, Birds, Butterflies & Blooms at Tony Grove with Jack Greene & IFP

Community Events, Field Trips

Tony Grove Reservoir Courtesy & © Mike Fish, Photographer

Tony Grove Reservoir
Courtesy & © Mike Fish, Photographer

Birds, Butterflies & Blooms at Tony Grove,
Saturday August 2nd, 8:30 a.m. Carpool from US Forest Service District Ranger Station, 1500 East Hwy 89

Explore Tony Grove and its abundance of birds, butterflies and wildflowers with Jack Greene
Stokes Nature Center, Bridgerland Audubon and the International Friends Program are sponsoring a field trip to Tony Grove from 8:30-early afternoon Saturday, August 2nd.

“Beautiful flowers with wings”, a phrase frequently used to express the exquisite beauty of butterflies. Join the Bridgerland Audubon Society for a field trip to learn the secret lives of these amazing sparks of life, the flowers they visit, and birds that eat them! Place: Tony Grove meadows.

Meet at the US Forest Service parking lot 1500 East Hwy 89 at 8:30 am on August 2nd for carpooling. Return early afternoon. Bring lunch, water, light jacket, hat or sun screen, binoculars, camera, butterfly net (we will have some).

Signed waivers required for all participants. Complete form, print results and bring printed waiver to meeting point.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScyLTBrAZcOZcHFyTacNszwKwtmc2VLBw9haXytidPKDhUacw/viewform?usp=dialog/a>

July 27, Tony Grove & Mount Naomi Wilderness Inducted into Old-Growth Forest Network

Community Events,

A Tony Grove Meadow Courtesy USDA Forest Service Teresa Prendusi, Photographer

A Tony Grove Meadow
Courtesy USDA Forest Service Teresa Prendusi, Photographer

The Tony Grove Recreation Area and the Mount Naomi Wilderness are being inducted into the Old-Growth Forest Network during a ceremony at the backcountry trailhead on Tony Grove Lake Road at 12:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 27th, 2025. This honor will recognize the two areas in Logan Canyon for their beauty and biodiversity. [Rod Boam, Cache Valley Daily]

Boam, Rod, Tony Grove Recreation Area and Mount Naomi Wilderness to be nationally recognized, News, cachevalleydaily.com
https://www.cachevalleydaily.com/news/tony-grove-recreation-area-and-mount-naomi-wilderness-to-be-nationally-recognized/article_97c2a805-1202-4f9c-9376-92bd35dc49c7.html

Old-Growth Forest Network

Tony Grove Lake, Bear River Range, Intermountain Region Viewing Area, USDA Forest Service, https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/regions/intermountain/TonyGrove/index.shtml

Miniature Elephanthead Courtesy & Copyright Hilary Shughart, Photographer

Miniature Elephanthead
Courtesy & Copyright Hilary Shughart, Photographer

Tony Grove & Mount Naomi Wilderness Induction into the Old-Growth Forest Network, Sunday, July 27, 2025, 12:00 pm Backcountry Trailhead, Tony Grove Lake Road, Image Courtesy & © Mike Fish, Photographer

Tony Grove & Mount Naomi Wilderness Induction into the Old-Growth Forest Network, Sunday, July 27, 2025, 12:00 pm Backcountry Trailhead, Tony Grove Lake Road, Image Courtesy & © Mike Fish, Photographer

Mount Naomi Wilderness [from the Uinta Wasatch Cache National Forest, USDA Forest Service]
Specific Area Information
Location: Northern Utah, northeast of Logan, Utah
USGS Quad: Naomi Peak, Tony Grove Peak and Mount Elmer
Difficulty: Moderate to severe with elevations rising to more than 9,900 feet.
Use: Frequent year round, especially on weekends and holidays.

About the Area
With spectacular alpine scenery, Mount Naomi Wilderness lies between the Logan River and the Utah-Idaho state line. It comprises approximately 44,523 acres. At 9,980 feet, Naomi Peak, near the eastern boundary, is the area’s highest point, although this mountainous country contains several other peaks towering above 9,000 feet. On the western side, there are many deep, scenic canyons.

Wildflowers carpet the large mountain meadows during summer blooms, and several flowers are unique to this region. You’ll find large populations of moose, elk, and deer, and beavers that are well established in several streams. The area is often used for hiking, backpacking, horseback riding, snow shoeing, and back country skiing.

Trails meander up the major canyons on the western side of the wilderness from trailheads near U.S. Highway 91. The trails join with others to link the area to U.S. Highway 89. Mount Naomi Wilderness has about 12 system trails totaling approximately 73 miles, including the Mount Naomi National Recreation Trail.

When traveling in the Mt. Naomi Wilderness Area, please adhere to the regulations below:

All campsites must be greater than 200 feet away from water sources, trails and other occupied campsites.
All litter must be carried out. Do not bury anything other than human waste, which should be buried 6″.
Horses may be tethered for no more than 1 hours within 200 feet of any water source.
Horses may not be tied to any tree for more than 1 hour and must be moved sooner if damage is occurring.
All feed and hay taken onto National Forest land must be tagged as “Certified Weed Free” by the county extension agent.
Campfires are prohibited where firewood supply is depleted, when fire building threatens wilderness qualities, or for public safety.
Groups entering the wilderness must be no larger than 10 people. Groups exceeding the size limit must separate into groups of 10 or less and remain at least 1/2 mile apart on trails and while camping.
Dogs are permitted; domestic stock is limited to 14 per party.
Maximum of 14 consecutive nights at an individual site.
For further information, please contact the Logan Ranger District at (435) 755-3620
or the Public Lands Information Center at (801) 466-6411.
Above extracted from: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r04/uinta-wasatch-cache/wilderness

Slopes of Mount Naomi, Courtesy Wikimedia, Andrey Zharkikh, Photographer, Licensed CC by 2.0

Slopes of Mount Naomi
Courtesy Wikimedia, Andrey Zharkikh, Photographer
Licensed CC by 2.0

Mount Naomi Wilderness, Wilderness Connect at the University of Montana, https://wilderness.net/visit-wilderness/?ID=378

Tony Grove Day Use, Recreation.gov, https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/10119409

USDA Forest Service, Tony Grove Lake Restrictions (from 2008), https://www.fs.usda.gov/r04/uinta-wasatch-cache/alerts/tony-grove-lake-restrictions

Press Release: Tony Grove Recreation Area & Mount Naomi Wilderness get nationally recognized for beauty and biodiversity, Courtesy Old-Growth Forest Network and Bridgerland Audubon Society,
https://bridgerlandaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Tony-Grove-Recreation-Area-Mount-Naomi-Wilderness-Press-Release-Tony-Grove-Lake-Gets-National-Recognition