Tell Congress: Extend the Roadless Rule Comment Period
Write to lawmakers and urge them to support an extended comment period and public meetings so that the voices of the people can be heard!
Last year, the Trump administration proposed eliminating the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which has safeguarded nearly 45 million acres of America’s National Forests, including two million acres in Oregon and beloved places like Iron Mountain, Olallie Lake, Joseph Canyon, Sparks Lake, and Lookout Mountain. These backcountry areas provide clean water, clean air, vital wildlife habitat, and diverse recreation opportunities.
Over 600,000 comments were gathered on the Trump administration’s proposal to eliminate the Roadless Rule. An analysis found that over 99% of those comments were opposed to the action and preferred keeping the Rule.
Now the Trump administration is back with the next phase of its plan, and is providing only 30 days for the public to submit comment. It is also refusing to schedule any public meetings on this major decision that will impact the future of millions of acres of our public lands.
Before the Roadless Rule was originally adopted in 2001, the Forest Service provided a total of 129 days for the public to comment on the Notice of Intent and the Proposed Roadless Rule and held more than 400 public meetings across the country after issuing the proposed rule.
The Trump administration and the allies in the logging and mining industries know that the longer people have to learn about what’s at stake, the clearer it will be that the destruction of the Roadless Rule is about exploiting our public lands for short-term gain. The public deserves more time to comment and expose the corruption at the heart of this scheme.
