Tens of millions of acres of national forest lands are at risk, and we need your help. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is proposing to repeal the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule and open our roadless public lands up to harmful development, including road construction in backcountry areas that will compromise fish and wildlife habitat and increase wildfire risk. 

Roadless areas are working landscapes that sustain irreplaceable habitat and provide high-quality hunting and angling opportunities for Americans of all walks of life. These public lands provide some of the last, best habitat for native trout or salmon. This includes cutthroat trout in the Rockies, brook trout in Appalachia, and salmon and steelhead in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. 

Since 2001, the Roadless Rule has balanced conservation with other multiple uses by preventing unnecessary new road construction and commercial logging operations on roadless areas managed by the U.S. Forest Service. Many other activities – including fishing, hunting, off-highway vehicle (OHV) use, mining, grazing, oil and gas leasing, and projects that remove timber to improve forest health conditions or prevent wildfire – are permitted by the Roadless Rule. In fact, across the country more than 4 million acres of hazardous fuels reduction projects have been conducted in roadless areas.

Rolling back the Roadless Rule risks fragmenting habitat, degrading water quality, and adding to an already massive road maintenance backlog. We need to speak up for these important public lands. Please take a moment today – the comment deadline is September 21 – to urge the USDA to keep the 2001 Roadless Rule in place and support native trout and salmon strongholds throughout the country.  Trout Unlimited has drafted a sample comment to the USDA, but it is important that you personalize the message to include why you care about this issue.