Maintain National Forest Roadless Areas

Since 2001, the Roadless Area Conservation Rule has safeguarded some of our nation's most wild and intact national forest lands. The implementation of the Roadless Rule followed 600 local meetings as well as 1.6 million public comments, with 95% in support. Today 58 million acres of backcountry landscapes across 39 states are designated as Roadless Areas. The Roadless Rule did not close existing roads or trails, and exceptions to roadbuilding include access to inholdings and mineral leases. Additionally, select timber harvest is permitted within Inventoried Roadless Areas to reduce fire risk or to improve fish and wildlife habitat.  

On August 29, 2025, The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published a Notice of Intent to rescind the Roadless Rule and to open 45 million acres of public lands to new roadbuilding and commercial timber harvest. There will be a 21-day public comment period from August 29, 2025 to September 19, 2025, during which time public land owners can voice their opinion.

The National Forest System already contains approximately 370,000 miles of roads. That's twice as many miles of roads than the entire U.S. National Highway System and enough to circumnavigate the globe more than 14 times! Repealing the Roadless Rule will directly result in an expansion of that development network across currently unfractured fish and wildlife habitat. Further, nearly 85% of wildfires are human caused, and approximately 90% of wildfires start within half a mile of a road. Repealing the Roadless Rule will only increase fire risk on our public lands. 

Join BHA in opposition to rescinding the Roadless Rule in its entirety and ask your member of Congress to instead support the Roadless Area Conservation Act, legislation that would codify the Roadless Rule as law.  

Use BHA's action alert to contact your member of congress and to sign on to a comment letter we BHA will deliver to President Trump and the USDA. We also strongly encourage you to provide unique comments and your own stories about Inventoried Roadless Areas by commenting directly through regulations.gov (docket number FS-2025-0001). 

Where the road ends, the adventure begins.