Since 2001, the Roadless Area Conservation Rule has prohibited road construction, road reconstruction, industrial development, and timber harvesting on approximately 45 million acres of national forests and grasslands.
Roadless areas are designated to preserve and protect watersheds, habitats, and riparian areas. In turn, protected areas provide clean water, healthy wildlife, and recreation opportunities.
As of June 2025, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins announced the intent to repeal the Roadless Area Conservation Rule.
The department’s proposal includes reasoning that removal of the Roadless rule will improve wildfire suppression and expand timber production.
In contrast, environmentalists and scientists warn that road construction in wilderness areas may increase wildfire ignitions, spread invasive species, and lead to habitat fragmentation and disruption of migration patterns.
Likewise, industrial development increases erosion and pollution, contaminates streams and rivers, and jeopardizes clean water sources.
Although Colorado has its own roadless rules, the Four Corners area and the rivers we love to boat across the west are protected by the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, and rescission could alter or destroy countless background landscapes.
The USDA is accepting written comments and relevant information, studies, or analyses with respect to the proposal. Written comments must be received no later than Sept. 19, 2025.
Electronically (preferred): Go to the notice posted on Regulations.gov and click on the comment button.
Mail: Hardcopy letters must be submitted to the Director, Ecosystem Management Coordination, 201 14th Street SW, Mailstop 1108, Washington, DC 20250-1124.
Fill out the Easy-Action Form from American Whitewater.
Taking a few minutes to make your voice heard can and will make a difference. The public (us!) had success stopping public land sales in recent legislation, illustrating how citizen action does make a difference.
3 comments
By keeping these areas roadless we protect critical habitat for wildlife as well as serenity to those that venture in on foot or boat. Thank you for all the work and help that you do!
Thank you for all this info. & the links to support . I did write to my representatives using your form. Although I routinely enjoy recreating on roadless lands, I decided to focus comments to my reps on the importance of keeping unadulterated wild lands intact for the critical health of our planet and all life on it. If the critical balance collapses enough and efforts of re-creating our wild lands starts, the astronomical expense, effort and resources that it will take will be a far heavier price to pay than keeping existing protections in place and perhaps putting in more protections to keep and manage what we haven’t yet destroyed. More roadless restrictions seems a better idea and definitely NOT rolling back any currant restrictions is imperative.
Great advocacy piece! Thank you. We need more roadless areas. And..the Dolores needs protection, an early candidate for wild and scenic designation, but has yet to get the protection it deserves.