How Would Rescinding the Roadless Rule Affect the National Forests That Matter to You?

On August 27th, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) opened a 21-day comment period for a plan to rescind the Roadless Area rule. This rule was established in 2001 and protects around one-third of the land overseen by the US Forest Service (which falls under the USDA). Outdoor Alliance published a great blog post about all the potential impacts of rescinding this rule, including a map showing all the roadless areas around the country. From the White Mountains of New Hampshire through Southern Appalachia, and from Michigan to the San Gabriel Mountains of Southern California, Roadless Areas protect vast areas of public land in 42 states, including thousands of miles of biking trails. The rescission has the potential to reshape public land across the United States.

Comments will be accepted through September 29th, 2025. Do they matter? If you’re like me, you have been exhausted by putting up a fight for our public lands since 2016. I’ve written three articles in the last month alone encouraging people to comment on proposed threats to the United States public lands, let alone how many times I have tried to write a compelling comment myself. Here’s my opinion: they matter. And they matter more when it’s a community you live in.

Last week, I was invited to meet with the district ranger here in my home forest, the Pisgah National Forest. I’d commented three times against a proposed power line easement widening that will dramatically affect several beloved trails in our community. Over 8,000 people live in our town, and roughly 35,000 in our county. In the last public comment period, only nine people commented at all, for or against the project. And my last letter of objection was the only one from anyone in our entire county, and the district ranger noticed.

The Forest Service cares about people who have a direct connection to the areas affected by a rule or change. While my official letters may not have the impact I want, the fact that I sent it in was noticed by the people managing our forest. Through a face-to-face discussion, I believe they are paying extra attention to this project because of some things I pointed out in my letters. This isn’t to pat myself on the back; I constantly feel defeated against the mechanisms of an administration that wants to completely change our public land policy in the United States. But I want to encourage people who live and play in these forests to never let your voice go unheard by the people who need to hear them.

As we mentioned, Outdoor Alliance does a great job educating people about the Roadless Rule and this proposed change, and they make it easy for you to comment. You can also comment directly on the Federal Register. Additionally, go to find the homepage of your personal national forest, or the ones you care about and use the most, and make sure you are on their mailing list for any future comment periods. If the Roadless Rule is rescinded, there will still likely be public comment opportunities at the local level for specific projects, much like the power line easement I mentioned. Find your national forest here.

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