Protect backcountry national forests

The Roadless Rule is a tool that protects many of our most valued backcountry recreation areas across the country. Roadless forests provide clean air, clean water, and protect the climate. Recreation is a major part of the economy in the west, and unnecessary development on backcountry forests could affect recreation access and local economies.

What is a Roadless Area?

Right now, about 50% of our National Forest land is open to drilling, logging, and mining; and 18% is protected as designated Wilderness. The remaining 30% of forests are known as Roadless Areas. These remote, roadless landscapes are treasured by our community for the backcountry recreation experiences they provide. These backcountry landscapes are governed by the Roadless Rule.

What is the Roadless Rule?

The Roadless Rule was established in 2001 after enormous public outreach and was intended to “provide lasting protection in the context of multiple-use management” for the 60 million acres of roadless areas on our National Forests and Grasslands. This means that we cannot build new roads or harvest timber on these Roadless Areas, but they are still open for a range of recreational activities including climbing, hiking, mountain biking, paddling, and backcountry skiing.

Why is the Roadless Rule Important?

The Roadless Rule conserves public lands and protects a range of recreational opportunities in the backcountry. Protecting Roadless Areas from large-scale mining, oil and gas drilling, logging, and new road construction protects outdoor experiences.

Roadless forests also fight climate change by capturing and storing carbon emissions. For example, the old-growth trees in the country’s largest National Forest, the Tongass National Forest, are champions of curbing climate change, storing about 12% of all the carbon captured on National Forest lands in the country. 

You can use the form below to tell your lawmakers why the Roadless Rule is important for outdoor recreation:

 
 
 

More Information

 

Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge

 
 

Interactive map of U.S. Roadless Areas and Recreation

 

News and Alerts

Featured
paxson-woelber-s0kuD2Rw3nk-unsplash.jpg
USDA Plans to Rescind the Roadless Rule, Putting Backcountry Recreation at Risk

Yesterday, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced the agency’s intent to rescind the Roadless Rule, which would be a devastating blow to America’s backcountry public lands and the millions of people who rely on them for outdoor recreation, clean air and water, and climate resilience.

hannah-wernecke-fRy-9V1TtXI-unsplash.jpg
Protections Restored for Tongass National Forest in Alaska

Today, the Biden administration restored protections for the country’s largest National Forest, a major success for the outdoors, Tribes, and the country’s climate goals.

zeke-tucker-4FQVDB2Y_MI-unsplash.jpg
Restoring Protections in the Tongass

Until January 24, the Forest Service wants to hear from you about restoring protections for America’s largest National Forest.

AK_Arctic_NWR_MasonCummings_180710_2091.jpg
What’s going on in Alaska and what can we do to help?

You may have heard that the Trump administration has been moving to lease off the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska for oil and gas drilling, and open the country’s largest national forest in its final days in office. Here’s what’s happening and how the outdoor community can help.

holly-mandarich-lIlo8mg774U-unsplash.jpg
Protecting Backcountry Recreation: All About the Roadless Area Conservation Act

When the administration rolled back protections on the country’s largest national forest, we mentioned one key effort to protect our backcountry forests. That’s the Roadless Area Conservation Act. Here’s everything you need to know about the bill, plus its path to law.

riley-uiNFzQYdMNE-unsplash.jpg
Trump Administration Strips Protections from America’s Largest National Forest

The Trump administration has eliminated Roadless Rule protections for the entirety of the Tongass National Forest in Alaska, the country’s largest, which will now be open to significant logging, road building, and development.

TongassNF_photo_by_USFS.jpg
The Roadless Rule and the Tongass National Forest

Read on for more information about the Roadless Rule, and what’s at stake with the Tongass National Forest.
Sign the Letter to Protect Utah’s National Forests

The state of Utah wants to roll back protections on its National Forests. It’s time to speak up to the Forest Service and ask them to reject Utah’s proposals.

sebastian-callahan-416934-unsplash.jpg
Utah Petitions Forest Service to Dismantle Roadless Protections

Utah is officially petitioning the Forest Service to roll back protections on its National Forests, which would eliminate protections for nearly 80% of currently protected backcountry skiing, more than half of currently protected climbing, 79% of the state’s currently protected paddling, and 79% of the state’s currently protected hiking and mountain biking.

evan-sanchez-781775-unsplash.jpg
Utah Takes Aim At Core Conservation Rule

The Roadless Rule protects tons of backcountry recreation on National Forests. Following in Alaska’s footsteps, Utah is asking the Forest Service for a new Utah-specific Rule that could mean big changes for Utah’s forests.