Help Protect National Forests by Commenting on the Roadless Rule Before Sept 19
The US Department of Agriculture recently announced plans to rescind the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, a popular policy that has protected nearly 45 million acres of National Forests across 42 states. Rolling back the Roadless Rule would open the door to logging, road construction, and development—threatening the outdoor experiences we treasure, and undermining the shared legacy of our public lands. This could have a direct impact on the Arizona National Scenic Trail, as there are inventoried roadless areas on 1 million acres in Arizona, including all four forests the AZT traverses.
The Roadless Rule was created in 2001 with strong public support – over 95% of the 1.6 million public comments received favored protection for roadless areas. Keeping the Roadless Rule in place demonstrates a commitment to future generations. America’s remaining roadless areas are rare, wild, and irreplaceable. At the Arizona Trail Association, we believe roadless areas must remain protected for the sake of outdoor recreation, biodiversity, air and water quality, viewsheds and soundscapes, and climate resilience. Will you join us in telling the USDA we cannot support this?
Public comments will be accepted until September 19 (the shortest public comment period in history for a policy change of this magnitude). This is our chance as a trail community to demonstrate overwhelming support for keeping additional roads out of our public lands.
Our friends at the Outdoor Alliance have an easy online form to use to submit your comments. Please take a few minutes to craft a thoughtful message before the September 10 deadline. The time is now to protect what remains of our National Forests!
