The Conservation Column

by Pepper Trail

 

I’ll admit it.  I am overwhelmed and devastated by the Trump Administration’s all-out attacks on environmental protections, green energy, and climate science (well, science in general).  It is hard to know where to begin to fight this many-headed monster, especially when Congress and the Supreme Court seem to have abdicated their roles in providing checks and balances under our Constitution.

We are fortunate to live in Oregon, where (most) of our elected officials understand that protecting the environment is critical to healthy communities, clean air and water, and a livable future – as well as simply our responsibility as the stewards of the planet (whether we like it or not). Unfortunately, decisions in D.C. have the potential for catastrophic impacts on our state, and indeed the world.

One recent terrible decision was the announcement that the US Forest Service would rescind the Roadless Rule.  An outstanding summary of this issue was written by Haleigh Martin of KS Wild, and is reprinted here.  A link to the article on the KS Wild website (with some beautiful photos) is: https://www.kswild.org/conservation-efforts/roadless-rule-rollback.

Rolling back the Roadless Rule could open up some of the nation’s last remaining wild landscapes for exploitation.

Written by Haleigh Martin in July 2025

Across southwestern Oregon and northwestern California is some of the wildest, undeveloped land in the lower 48 states. One could venture out into the woods for a week and never see another single human but would likely find fascinating plant life, trees that have survived numerous generations, birdsong filling the air and dozens of sneaky critters scurrying along the forest floor, and cold, clean water rushing through creeks and streams.

What we have here in our backyards is not an experience that every American gets to have.

Not everyone across the country has such ample access to public lands right outside of their front door. In fact, many people across the country may have to drive hours to get to their state’s singular national forest. There is a reason why the rivers in this corner of the country have some of the best salmon and steelhead runs in the country. There is a reason why people travel from states away to backpack and raft and camp. There is a reason why many wildlife species populations have persevered here but have gone extinct in many other parts of the country. This region is extremely unique in its wild nature.

This wild nature doesn’t just persist without protection. The vast wildlands of this region exist because people have fought for conservation of these landscapes. From the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act to the Wilderness Act to the Endangered Species Act, many policies in recent U.S. history have garnered the support of the public and decision-makers in order to keep the wild wild.

Unfortunately, those policies aren’t carved in stone, and from time to time, folks in power will seek to revoke protections that keep them and their allies from exploiting and developing the very places many people have worked so hard to protect. We are currently watching this play out with the proposed rollback of the 2001 Roadless Rule.

click here to play with an interactive map of all the Inventoried Roadless Areas across the United States here, made by our friends at the Outdoor Alliance.

What is the 2001 Roadless Rule?

In 2001, the Roadless Area Conservation Rule was adopted with massive public support to protect 58.5 million acres of roadless national forest land in 39 states. The Roadless Rule was the result of years of work and public input. The public comment period set a record with 1.6 million public comments submitted. The rule protects 58.5 million acres of national forests over 39 states from new road construction, and prohibits the logging of roadless areas in the National Forest System.

What’s happening with the Roadless Rule right now?

In late June, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said that the US Forest Service (USFS) would be rescinding the Roadless Rule. Secretary Rollins, President Trump, and other GOP supporters of the rollback have framed the rule as “overly restrictive,” claiming it impedes wildfire mitigation and local forest management. But researchers and folks who are familiar with the nation’s few remaining roadless forests caution that the opposite is true.

Eliminating the Roadless Rule would not only destroy some of the most cherished recreation areas (11,337 climbing routes, more than 1,000 whitewater paddling runs, 43,826 miles of trail, and 20,298 mountain biking trails as well as sections of the Continental Divide, Pacific Crest, and Appalachian National Trails)— it would also threaten drinking water sources, imperil wildlife species and their habitats, and cost taxpayers money. Also, contrary to the Agriculture Department’s rationale, rescinding the rule would increase the risk of wildfires. New research now in peer review shows that from 1992-2024, wildfires were four times as likely to start in areas with roads than in roadless forest tracts.

For many of us in southern Oregon and northern California, we will see the direct impacts of this policy rollback right in our backyards. 

I believe I can speak for myself and many others when I say that the forests, rivers, meadows, and other wild spaces are what make this region so special. They offer recreation experiences like no other, they house some of the most unique wildlife and plant species in the country, they offer ample hunting and angling opportunities, and they are important spaces for many of us to escape to to unplug and recharge from the day-to-day world. The contiguous wild spaces of this region and the nation are necessary for the future of many ecosystems, and rolling back the Roadless Rule to increase logging and resource extraction will undoubtedly cause more harm than good.

PREPARE FOR ACTION

Dozens of U.S. representatives and senators have signed onto the Roadless Area Conservation Act of 2025 which would codify the Roadless Rule so that only an act of Congress could roll it back.

  • The process of rescinding the rule is still ongoing. The USDA must publish a proposed rescission in the Federal Register, which will initiate a new public comment period under federal law.
  • Public Input is Crucial:

During the original 2001 rule’s comment period, the public overwhelming supported the protection of roadless areas, with 95% of the record-breaking 1.6 million comments favoring the rule.

What Happens Next?

  1. Federal Register Notice:

The USDA is expected to publish a proposed rule to formally rescind the Roadless Rule.

       2. Public Comment Period:

A public comment period will be opened, providing another opportunity for the public to submit formal written comments on the proposed rescission.

       3. Final Rule:

After considering the comments and finalizing an environmental impact statement, the USDA can issue a final rule to officially remove the Roadless Rule.

Once a comment period is announced, we will be sure to publicize it on the RVAS website, so that your voices can be heard.