SAVE ROADLESS AREAS
HELP SAFEGUARD WILDLIFE HABITAT AND BACKCOUNTRY PROTECTED
BY THE ROADLESS AREA CONSERVATION RULE
The Trump Administration is working to revoke the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which currently protects 30% of all national forest land from almost all logging, mining, and other forms of development by limiting new road construction.
This accounts for a total of 44.7 million acres.
That’s more than any other land management law or rule besides the Wilderness Act.Â
Protected Roadless Areas Provide:
Areas of large, connected wildlife habitat that are critical to wide-ranging and road-wary wildlife species.
Irreplaceable opportunities for solitude and backcountry experiences—including more than 11,000 climbing routes, 43,000 miles of trails, 20,000 miles of mountain bike trails, and 1,000 white water routes.
Places where natural processes function and provide communities with clean air and water.
DIVE DEEPER:
The Importance of Preserving Wildness
Places like Roadless Areas, vast landscapes where natural processes proceed free from excessive industrial incursion, are increasingly rare.
They are places that retain some elements of wildness. They are critically important bastions of biodiversity and some of the last remaining refuges for species with little or no other suitable habitat left.
The Surprising Impacts of Forest Roads
Revoking the Roadless Rule would open huge areas of national forest to new development and the construction of new roads.
Forest roads themselves have a surprising impact on the landscapes they transect.
Roadless Areas and Wildfire
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One of the primary arguments repeated by people in favor of removing Roadless Area protections is the misconception that more roads are needed to combat wildfire.Â
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In reality, research shows that the presence of forest roads increases, rather than prevents, the number of wildfire ignitions. We already have enough forest roads (The USFS manages the largest network of roads on Earth), and the Roadless Area Conservation Rule allows officials to construct new roads to address emergency situations.
GET INVOLVED:
Strong public support for the Roadless Rule can help make a difference.Â
Sign up for our mailing list to be the first to know when and how to participate in public comment periods and other engagement opportunities to speak up for the Roadless Rule.
