Save the South’s wildest forests

For decades, some of the South’s wildest public lands have been safeguarded by a critical Forest Service policy called the Roadless Rule. These roadless areas boast world-famous hiking and mountain biking trails, contribute clean drinking water for downstream communities, provide habitat for wildlife, and support local economies that depend on our public lands.  

But now, the U.S. Forest Service is finalizing a proposal to get rid the Roadless Rule—a reckless move that would open these iconic places up to unnecessary roadbuilding, harmful development, and destructive logging. 

Rescinding the Roadless Rule would do long-term damage to communities that rely on public lands, leave permanent scars on our landscapes, and rob future generations of the opportunity to hike, mountain bike, fish, and enjoy the South’s natural treasures.

Help us fight for our wildest forests by telling the Forest Service to drop its misguided effort to get rid of the Roadless Rule.

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US Forest Service

To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing to express my strong opposition to the Forest Service’s proposal to rescind the Roadless Rule. For the last 25 years, the Roadless Rule has safeguarded some of our nation’s wildest forests from unnecessary roadbuilding and harmful industrial development. Getting rid of the rule would do long-lasting damage to these incredible public lands and the thousands of communities that rely on them. 
 
Roadless areas are some of the best of what our National Forests have to offer. They help provide clean drinking water to downstream communities, are home to cold, crystal-clear trout fishing streams, boast world-class hiking and mountain biking trails, support local businesses, provide habitat for at-risk animal species, and offer unmatched experiences for visitors looking to get away from the noise and commotion of roads. Getting rid of the Roadless Rule puts all these incredible benefits at risk.  
 
While the Forest Service has claimed that getting rid of the Roadless Rule will help prevent wildfires, the facts don’t back that claim up. Wildfires are four times more likely to start near a road than in a roadless forest. Additionally, the Roadless Rule already allows the Forest Service to do wildfire prevention work and fight fires in roadless areas.  
 
In addition, the Forest Service has not been able to maintain the 370,000 miles of roads it already has—over twice the size if the U.S. Highway system. Roads are expensive to build and maintain, as shown by the current $9 billion road maintenance backlog. Unmaintained roads can lead to landslides and lower water quality, which threatens the health of entire ecosystems. The agency can’t afford what it has and should not worsen the situation by adding more roads, especially in these spectacularly wild places.  
 
I strongly urge you to scrap this reckless proposal and to keep the Roadless Rule in place as-is, so that future generations of hikers, anglers, mountain bikers, hunters, climbers, birders, and paddlers can enjoy these amazing roadless places.

Thanks,

{user_data~First Name} {user_data~Last Name}
{user_data~City}, {user_data~State} {user_data~ZIP Code}

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