Letter: Roadless and Bikeless?
The public has until Sept. 21 to weigh in as opponents warn the change could open 66 million acres to logging and development.
- The United States Forest Service has started the process to roll back the Roadless Rule, which currently protects 66 million acres of National Forest land from logging and development.
- Brooke Rollins of the United States Department of Agriculture claimed outdated restrictions prevent necessary forest treatments to improve health and reduce wildfire risk to communities. The rollback aims to increase active management of forested lands.
- Environmental advocate Will Harlan of the Center for Biological Diversity opposes the rollback, calling roadless areas "the backbone of our outdoor recreation economy." He argues these lands provide critical habitat while helping mitigate climate change.
- Public comments remain open until Sept. 21 regarding the proposed rollback. A Center for Western Priorities analysis found 99% of previous comments opposed weakening the Roadless Rule.
- The Roadless Rule encompasses 172,000 acres in North Carolina, including 32 roadless areas like the Linville Gorge and South Mills River. These regions provide essential water quality benefits to downstream communities.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Save New England's wildest forests before it's too late
The roadless rule protects 260,000 acres of the White and Green Mountain national forests. The Trump administration wants to rescind it. Read the story on VTDigger here: Save New England’s wildest forests before it’s too late.
Trump administration advances plan to open national forests to development
The Trump administration is proposing to rescind the “roadless rule,” a 25-year-old policy that bars development like road construction and logging on nearly 45 million acres of national forest land, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday. In a press release, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said the rule has led to overgrown and diseased forests […]
Repealing the Roadless Rule is a bad deal for Montanans
Like many longtime Montanans, I view public lands as my second paycheck. While they don’t literally pay my bills, the boundless opportunities they provide for me to fish, hunt, hike, paddle and ski are what have kept me here for…
Letter to the editor: Our lands, our access: Why it’s time to repeal the Roadless Rule
Public lands belong to all Americans, not just the select few with the physical ability or financial means to backpack for miles into the deep wilderness. Yet, under the restrictive confines of the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, millions of acres…
Trump administration moving forward with plans to remove roadless forest protections
The United States Forest Service is proposing to rollback the Roadless Rule, which currently protects 66 million acres of National Forest land, including critical areas in North Carolina's Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests, sparking widespread opposition from local communities and environmental advocates.
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- 67% of the sources are Center
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