Gallego, Colleagues Urge Trump Administration Not to Axe Protections for America’s Remaining Wild Public Forests

Popular Roadless Rule conservation measure protects 44 million acres of pristine U.S. Forest Service lands from destructive and expensive roadbuilding, logging, and supports outdoor recreation economy WASHINGTON – Last week, Senators Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) joined 38 of their Senate colleagues and dozens of House members in sending a bicameral letter calling on the Trump Administration to end its efforts to repeal the Roadless Rule. For a quarter century, the Roadless Rule has shielded approximately 44 million acres of the most pristine and treasured areas within the National Forest System from roadbuilding and logging. In Arizona, the Rule protects 1,174,000 acres of Inventoried roadless Areas. “Since its adoption in 2001, the Roadless Rule has served as a cornerstone of public lands conservation, now protecting approximately 44 million acres of National Forest System lands across 37 states,” wrote the Senators. “These areas provide clean drinking water, critical wildlife habitat, carbon storage, and world-class recreation opportunities. Iconic landscapes such as the Tongass National Forest in Alaska, the Gila National Forest in New Mexico, and the George Washington National Forest in Virginia exemplify the ecological, cultural, and economic importance of these lands.” The letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz goes on to note the habitat protection, wildfire mitigation, and economic benefits of the Roadless Rule. The Roadless Rule enjoys strong public support, as evidenced by the overwhelming majority of 2.5 million comments submitted on the Roadless Forest Protection Rule since it has been enacted — more than 95%— were in support of protecting roadless areas. A March 2019 poll by the Pew Charitable Trusts found that three out of four respondents said they supported keeping roadless forest protections, while only 16% opposed it. That level of support changed little between respondents living in rural or non-rural areas and across party affiliation and political views. “Over the past 25 years, the rule has helped protect watersheds, biodiversity, and ecosystem integrity by limiting road construction and large-scale logging in undeveloped areas,” continued the Senators. “Forest Service data show that watersheds within roadless areas are far more likely to be in ‘properly functioning’ condition compared to those outside of them, which are more often classified as ‘at risk’ or ‘impaired.’” “The conclusion is clear: the Roadless Rule is effective, widely supported, and essential to responsible forest management. Rescinding it would undermine decades of progress and impose unnecessary environmental and fiscal costs,” concluded the Senators. Last year, Senators Gallego and Cantwell, along with Representatives Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03) and Andrea Salinas (OR-06) introduced the Roadless Area Conservation Act to permanently codify the Roadless Rule. Read the full text of the letter HERE .