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
- Contents
- Complete the Federal Register Form & Contact Your Representatives
- Lands Under the Current Roadless Rule
- USDA Forest Service Press Releases For Removing the Roadless Rule
- Media Background and Pieces Against Removing the Roadless Rule
- This is not the first time
- Bridgerland Audubon Statement on Political Advocacy
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The 2020 Alaska Roadless Rule, which exempted the Tongass National Forest in Alaska from roadless protections, was repealed on Jan. 27, 2023, returning the inventoried roadless areas of the forest to management under the 2001 Roadless Rule.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
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:
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
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