The Roadless Rule was established in 2001 following years of public input from around the country. In the summer of 2025, the Trump administration moved to repeal the rule.
The U.S. Forest Service held no public meetings on the proposed repeal, and shortened the public comment period to 21 days.
This week, a coalition of public lands advocates submitted a petition signed by more than 4,000 Montanans calling on the Forest Service to schedule public meetings. At a press event near the Lolo National Forest’s Office, speakers criticized the rescission of the rule and the agency’s lack of public input.
Jim Burchfield is the former dean of the University of Montana’s College of Forestry.
"It's a wrongheaded, dramatic mandate in search of a problem," he said.
Even with a shortened comment period, 99% of comments opposed repealing the rule. It prevents road construction, logging, mining, and energy development on 58 million acres nationwide.
Burchfield explained roadless landscapes provide clean water, important habitat for wildlife, and recreation access.
"The social cost of broadly opening roadless areas could be extreme, particularly the hard-won trusting relationships that have been evolved among conservation advocates, land owners, backcountry recreationists and commodity interests across the West."
Burchfield also said research shows that roads serve as entry points for invasive species, degrade habitat and increase wildfire risk.
With the petition submitted, it is now up to the Forest Service to respond.
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The Trump administration wants to repeal what’s known as the “Roadless Rule.” The policy prohibits logging and road building on roughly 60 million acres of national forests. A three week public comment period closed last week. Most public comments opposed changing the rule.
