Dismantling the Roadless Rule Would Put Clean Water and Wildlife at Risk, Increase Fire Risk
| Contact: Lauren Anderson, Climate Forests Program Manager Erik Fernandez, Wilderness Program Manager |
Portland, OR — In a sweeping rollback of one of America’s most broadly supported and legally durable conservation measures, the Trump administration today announced it is eliminating the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. This move puts nearly 2 million acres of Oregon’s most intact national forest lands at risk, including areas around the Metolius River, the Sandy River, the Oregon Dunes, Mount Hebo, Hardesty Mountain, Tumalo Mountain, and the Upper Hood River Valley.
Oregon Wild strongly condemns this short-sighted decision, which ignores decades of public input, legal precedent, and the irreplaceable ecological value of Oregon’s remaining wild forests.
“Once again, the Trump administration is siding with industry lobbyists and political insiders instead of the people of Oregon and the American public,” said Oregon Wild Climate Forests Program Manager Lauren Anderson. “This decision is an invitation for the most destructive commercial logging, roadbuilding, and development in some of the most remote, ecologically valuable, and unspoiled forests left in the country. These lands belong to all Americans, not just the industrial looters and billionaire donors who have the President’s ear.”
The Roadless Rule was established in 2001 after an unprecedented public process that included more than 600 hearings and 1.6 million comments. The vast majority of comments supported protecting roadless areas from logging and roadbuilding. The rule safeguarded 58.5 million acres of undeveloped national forests, including almost 2 million acres in Oregon, from most commercial development.
The Trump administration’s repeal of the rule comes amid a broader effort to ramp up logging on public forests in Oregon and across the West, as well as threats to sell off millions of acres of public lands, including in Oregon, to pay for Trump’s tax-cut and domestic militarization agenda.
This effort is presented as “fire prevention,” but studies consistently show that roadbuilding and logging in backcountry forests do little to reduce fire risk near communities. In many cases, these activities increase fire risk while degrading clean water, fish and wildlife habitat, and outdoor recreation opportunities.
A recent poll showed that 74% believe the federal government should focus forest management on thinning small trees near homes and emergency services, rather than large-scale commercial logging in more remote areas like those currently protected by the Roadless Rule. Both state and federal policy heavily subsidize logging lucrative large trees in the backcountry in the name of ‘fire preparedness’ over effective ways to safeguard lives and communities.
“Oregon’s roadless forests are not only home to ancient trees and endangered wildlife. They are vital sources of clean drinking water for hundreds of thousands of people and support the state’s outdoor recreation economy,” said Erik Fernandez, Wilderness Program Manager for Oregon Wild. “Removing protections for these forests is not fire management. It is environmental vandalism.”
From the remote forests of the Rogue River-Siskiyou to the high headwaters of the Blue Mountains, Oregon’s roadless areas are among the state’s last best places. These landscapes provide refuge for salmon, steelhead, elk, and eagles. They offer cold clean water for communities like Ashland and Salem. They also offer a haven for hikers, hunters, and anyone seeking solitude in nature.
“Oregonians have made it clear time and again that they value their wildlands, clean water, and wildlife. The Trump administration’s decision is not only an attack on our environment. It is an attack on our values,” said Anderson.
Oregon Wild and its partners will continue to fight this decision in the courts, in Congress, and in communities across Oregon to ensure that roadless forests remain wild for future generations.
Background:
- The 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule protected 58.5 million acres of undeveloped national forests from new roadbuilding and most forms of commercial logging
- Nearly 2 million acres of Oregon’s national forests are protected by the Roadless Rule, including parts of Mount Hood, Hells Canyon, and the Siskiyou Mountains
- These areas safeguard drinking water for more than 800,000 Oregonians and provide critical habitat for species like salmon, marbled murrelets, and bald eagles
- Roadless lands support a robust outdoor recreation economy and are central to Oregon’s wild backcountry experiences
