The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) is moving ahead on its attempt to repeal the Roadless Rule. However, unlike other rule changes—and even the rule’s implementation in 2001—the Forest Service isn’t holding any public meetings about this monumental shift in forest management.
What Is The Roadless Rule?
The Roadless Rule was adopted in 2001 to protect certain areas of forests from any road construction or commodity logging. It applies to 58 million acres of forests across the country, essentially turning them into Wilderness Areas. Backpacking, camping, fishing, and hunting are still allowed in Roadless Areas.
Last year, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the department’s intent to rescind the Roadless Rule, opening up 58 million acres of forest to logging and road building.
No Meetings
Christine Peterson, a freelance journalist reporting for High Country News, was among the first to bring to light the Forest Service’s decision not to hold any public meetings as it pushes to completely rescind the Roadless Rule.
“Under federal law, agencies like the Forest Service must seek public comment before any major land-use change, often through lengthy comment periods and public meetings,” Peterson writes.
During this process to rescind the Roadless Rule, however, public meetings aren’t being held, and comment periods have been significantly reduced. This is in stark contrast to the implementation of the Rule back in 2001. At that time, Peterson writes that over 600 hearings were held over two years, giving the public time and opportunity to shape the Rule.
Grassroots Meetings
The bulk of Peterson’s story is about grassroots meetings that are taking place across the country, without Forest Service personnel present.
“These hearings enable local and national nonprofits, tribes and conservation organizations to inform locals about the Roadless Rule repeal, answer their questions, build community around the issue and record testimony to submit for comment,” Peterson wrote.
In addition to those grassroots meetings, other groups are publicly calling for community engagement on the Roadless Rule. Wild Montana, a conservation group focused on preserving public lands, wrote an open letter to USFS chief Tom Schulz, writing in part that “Accordingly, we, the undersigned, call on the Forest Service to hold public meetings, with virtual options, for every National Forest that includes lands protected by the Roadless Rule. At the very least, these meetings should occur in each community where a Forest Supervisor’s office is located. This is necessary to share information about and gather perspectives to inform the Agency’s proposed repeal of the Roadless Area Conservation Rule.”