Comments on the USDA’s plan to rescind protections for almost 45 million acres of public land are due by September 21, 2026! Read on for a quick recap and instructions on how to make your voice heard…

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), which oversees the United States Forest Service, is accepting comments on its plan to rescind the 2001 Roadless Rule, which protects inventoried roadless areas across the country. We reported on the administration’s plan here, and we’re here to remind you that the time for sharing your thoughts is drawing to a close.

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If you’re unfamiliar with the Roadless Rule, this explainer by onX Maps is incredibly detailed and includes map layers so you can see what areas would be affected. You might be surprised by the trails and areas that are currently protected by this rule. According to IMBA, some 10,794 miles of trails open to mountain bikes are protected within Roadless Areas in 42 states and Puerto Rico.

For our readers, we’ll keep this simple: With the rule in place, the trails and areas that many of our routes traverse are protected from most logging, vehicular access, and motorized infrastructure development. If it is rescinded, far fewer protections will restrain any development-friendly or irresponsible administration.

According to IMBA, without roadless protections, these areas could see:

  • New road construction
  • Increased timber harvest and extraction activity
  • Fragmentation or loss of trail systems
  • Reduced safety and experience due to road/trail conflicts
  • Extraction-based impacts like erosion, water quality degradation, habitat fragmentation and soundscape and viewshed destruction

Routes such as The Wilson’s Ramble, Central Wasatch Traverse, Straddle and Paddle and Eastern Divide Trail would all be impacted by changes to this rule.

You can read all the official documents related to the Forest Service’s plan for rescinding the rule here. You can also submit your official comments on that page. Alternatively, you can also use this tool created by Outdoor Alliance to submit your comment.

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I highly recommend you also read onX’s advice on writing effective comments before you make your submission. But whatever you do, don’t miss the deadline! Comments are due by midnight on Monday, September 21, 2026.

Further Reading

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