Stop the Roadless Rule Rollback

Subject: Oppose Repeal of the 2001 Roadless Rule (Comment for Public Record)

We strongly oppose the proposed repeal or rollback of the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule.

This rule protects 58.5 million acres of undeveloped national forest land, including 6 million acres in Montana and 44.7 million acres nationwide. These lands are critical for maintaining clean water, intact wildlife habitat, biodiversity, and high-quality recreation opportunities. Removing protections would have long-lasting, irreversible impacts.

Key Reasons for Opposition:

• Backcountry Horsemen of Montana have worked in concert with the Forest Service for years maintaining and building trails on many of these lands for all public use.
• New road construction in currently protected areas will fragment critical wildlife habitat and degrade watersheds that provide clean water to people, fish, and wildlife.
• The U.S. Forest Service already has a $4.4 billion road maintenance backlog. Adding more roads is fiscally irresponsible and unsustainable.
• USFS staffing shortages due to recent layoffs make it increasingly difficult to manage even existing lands. The solution must not be land sales or transfers, which would result in permanent loss of public lands.
• Iconic at-risk areas in Montana include lands surrounding the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, regions north and west of Hebgen Lake, parts of southwest Montana along the Idaho border, Beartooth Front near Red Lodge, significant parts of the Bridger Range, Blodgett Canyon and Bass Creek in the Bitterroots, portions of the Crazy Mountains, portions of the Swan Range and numerous roadless “islands” across the state.
• This proposal presents a false choice: to repeal all protections or do nothing. A more responsible approach would include site-specific analysis and stakeholder engagement.
• The current Roadless Rule already allows for public safety, wildfire prevention, and emergency exceptions, making repeal unnecessary.
• Catastrophic wildfire risk is primarily driven by climate change, not lack of roads.
• The process is being rushed with a short 3-week comment period, limiting public input and thoughtful review of the consequences.
• Nearly one-third of Montana’s national forests would be affected by this change — a decision of this magnitude requires full public engagement and careful deliberation.

Repealing the Roadless Rule would dismantle decades of bipartisan conservation work and damage the ecological integrity of public lands meant to serve future generations. I urge the agency to retain the 2001 Roadless Rule and reject the broad, one-size-fits-all rollback currently proposed.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment.

Mack Long Chair – on behalf of Backcountry Horsemen of Montana

What is the Roadless Rule? 

Since 2001, the Roadless Rule has prevented unnecessary road building across 6.4 million acres in Montana and 58 million acres nationwide. The Rule limits new road building and timber harvest, but it explicitly allows proactive forest management, fuel treatments, and road construction to keep our communities safe from wildfires. It allows all existing roads and supports existing recreational access.

The initial public comment period is open until 11:59 EDT on Friday, Sept. 19. Please copy and paste any of the above information and personalize it and sign it by your own name.

To comment click the following link.