Protecting Backcountry Recreation: All About the Roadless Area Conservation Act
Photo credit: Holly Mandarich, Colorado, native land of the Ute.
The Roadless Rule is a lesser-known but key conservation rule that helps protect undeveloped areas on National Forests and backcountry recreation. The rule has been in the news more often since the Trump administration announced last month that it would roll back protections on the Tongass National Forest, the country’s largest National Forest and the largest intact temperate rainforest in the world. Previously, more than 9 million acres of the Tongass was protected by the Roadless Rule, which limits new road building and development.
The Roadless Rule at Risk
The Roadless Rule is an administrative rule that was enacted under the Clinton administration in 2001, after enormous public outreach. Since it is a rule, not a law, states can request exemptions, and several states have done so since the rule was enacted. In a few cases, like in Colorado, the state ended up finalizing protections for even more areas than the Roadless Rule originally included. But in other cases, like in Alaska, protections are stripped away for backcountry areas.
Lawmakers are trying to protect the Roadless Rule from attacks by anti-conservation administrations by making it a statutory law, rather than an agency rule, which is easier to change. The Roadless Area Conservation Act (S. 1311/H.R. 2491) would provide permanent protection for backcountry roadless areas and take us off the merry-go-round of states filing petitions for special treatment from the Forest Service. Passing this bill would protect the 30% of National Forest land that are currently protected by the 2001 Roadless Rule.
Why the Roadless Rule Matters for Recreation
National Forests provide lots of resources to Americans, including fresh water and clean air, wildlife habitat, timber, and access to outdoor recreation. Right now, about 50% of our National Forest land is open to drilling, logging, and mining; and 18% of it is protected as designated Wilderness. The remaining 30% of forests are known as Roadless Areas. These remote landscapes are treasured by our community for the backcountry recreation they provide. These backcountry landscapes are governed by the Roadless Rule.
Though you might not know it, the Roadless Rule has been instrumental in protecting outdoor recreation experiences across the country. Roadless areas are found in 42 states and Puerto Rico (check out this map, and click on “Roadless Areas” to see all the backcountry areas protected by this rule or scroll down to the map at the bottom of this post). They are home to recreation gems like the Pacific Crest Trail, which passes through several roadless areas in the Cascades and Sierras on the West Coast; alpine summits like Wyoming’s Franc’s Peak — the highest peak in the Absaroka mountains; Montana’s Hyalite Canyon — a world-renowned ice climbing destination; climbing and backcountry skiing at Washington Pass and Liberty Bell (see the map below) at the Headwaters of Washington’s Methow Valley; mountain biking on the Maah Daah Hey Trail in western North Dakota, Kettle Crest of Washington, and Tea Creek Mountain in West Virginia; stellar hiking and camping adjacent to the Dolly Sods and Otter Creek Wilderness in West Virginia; and paddling in the headwaters of the Gauley in the West Virginia Highlands and headwaters of the Lochsa in Idaho. You can read our recent testimony about the importance of the Roadless Rule to outdoor recreation here.
You can take action by asking your lawmakers to support the Roadless Area Conservation Act, making these current, popular protections for backcountry areas permanent. A change in administration or Congress is also a key moment to pass priorities that may not have been a priority to prior lawmakers. You can make a difference by raising the profile of the bill and elevating its importance for lawmakers now:
Maps
Interactive map highlighting roadless areas (orange) across the U.S. Click here to open in a new window.