Protect Our Roadless Areas

THE ISSUE

The Trump Administration is trying to repeal vital protection for America’s roadless areas.  What is called the “Roadless Rule” was adopted by the USFS over 25 years ago.  It essentially provides that large roadless areas in the National Forest System should remain roadless until and unless Congress determines that they should be developed.  These areas include Wilderness Study Areas and some of the last remaining habitat for large animals such elk, lynx, moose, bears, and mountain lions whose numbers are dwindling due to habitat destruction.

WHY IT MATTERS

The Lower 48 States have only 98.5million acres of roadless areas remaining -- 4.4 million of which are in Colorado.  These areas are vital to protect because:

• The amount of roadless area in the United States is rapidly dwindling — less 2% of all land in the continental United States remains roadless.

• Roadless areas are often the headwaters of major watersheds and a vital source of clean drinking water for millions of people.

• Roadless areas function as biological strongholds and refuges for hundreds of species, dozens of which are endangered or threatened.

• Roadless areas offer important opportunities for semi-primitive recreation activities such as hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and mountain biking. Motorized equipment can be used in roadless areas but not in wilderness areas.

• The U.S. Forest Service does not have the funds to adequately maintain even the 386,000 miles of existing Forest Service roads.

WHAT IS HAPPENING

In August 2025, the U.S Department of Agriculture announced its intent to rescind the Roadless Rule, arguing that rescission was “necessary to protect America’s forests and communities from devastating fires” by “removing burdensome, outdated, one-size-fits-all regulations that put people and livelihoods at risk.” However, studies have shown that wildfires are four to five times more likely to start in areas served by roads than in roadless areas. 

The Department of Agriculture is currently preparing a Draft Environmental Impact Statement that is expected to be issued in late August September of April 2026. There will then be a very short 30-day period for public comment.

The USFS adopted separate Roadless Rules for Colorado and Idaho.  The current effort to repeal the National Roadless Rule does not include a repeal of these state Rules, but there is concern that if the National Roadless Rule is successfully repealed, the next step will be to try repeal these separate state rules.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

1. Write and call your Congressmembers to voice your support for the Roadless Rule.

2. DONATE to ESWA to support its advocacy efforts.

3. Sign petition in support of the Roadless Rule:

   1. Change.Org:  https://www.change.org/p/stop-trump-s-gutting-of-the-roadless-rule-and-protect-america-s-national-forests

   2. Environment America: https://environmentamerica.org/take-action/tell-your-senator-defend-wild-forests/

   3. Old Growth Forests: https://www.oldgrowthforest.net/urgent-opportunities-to-speak-up-for-national-forests

USEFUL LINKS:

1. ESWA 3/20/26 Get Wild article in the Summit Daily on the National Roadless Rule: https://www.summitdaily.com/opinion/get-wild-a-primer-on-the-roadless-rule/

2. ESWA 3/26/26 Get Wild article in the Summit Daily on the Colorado Roadless Rule: https://www.summitdaily.com/opinion/get-wild-the-colorado-roadless-rule/

3. Backcountry Hunters and Anglers Action Alert on Repeal of Roadless Rule: https://www.backcountryhunters.org/get-involved/take-action

4. 7/31/26 article in Vail Daily on the Roadless Rule:

5. 7/31/26 article in the Vail Daily about the Roadless Rule: https://www.vaildaily.com/news/taking-the-public-out-of-public-land-management-how-local-wilderness-designation-is-at-risk-under-potential-federal-changes/

6. Trout Unlimited Roadless Rule Report:  https://www.tu.org/roadless-report/

7. Articles on effect of Roadless Rule on wildfires:

   1. https://www.nbcboston.com/video/news/national-international/video-climate-pristine-national-forests-face-much-greater-risk-of-wildfire-under-trump-administration-plan/3758132/ 

   2. Paving paradise: Dismantling the US Roadless Rule threatens to disrupt wildlife, water and peace in the last quiet places in America

   3. Overturning Roadless Rule could mean great harm to wildlands Protect Oregon communities from wildfire by fighting a repeal of the Roadless Rule

   4. 7/31/26 article in the Vail Daily about the Roadless Rule: https://www.vaildaily.com/news/taking-the-public-out-of-public-land-management-how-local-wilderness-designation-is-at-risk-under-potential-federal-changes/

   5. David Mildrexler & other scientists have a new policy analysis article, Roadless rule rescission threatens highest integrity forest ecosystems in the United States, published in Biological Conservation this week.

   6. Policy analysts at Frontier Group (which is part of the Public Interest Network along with Environment America Research & Policy Center) looked at data from 2010 to April 2026 from the Forest Service, the National Interagency Fire Center and the National Fire Protection Association and examined wildfire ignitions in roadless areas. We found that fewer than 1% of wildfires in the lower 48 states – and none of the costliest fires – since 2010 have started in roadless areas of national forests. Visualizations of the GIS data and our conclusions can be found at Environment America Research & Policy Center’s new web resource: Removing the roadless rule won’t protect us from wildfires

   7. PEW Charitable Trust webpage on repeal of the Roadless Rule:  https://www.pew.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2026/02/18/an-update-on-the-roadless-rule

   8. Earth Justice timeline of the Roadless Rule: https://earthjustice.org/feature/timeline-of-the-roadless-rule