Organization offers opinions on proposed elimination of Roadless Area Conservation Rule
The outdoor recreation economy, a significant contributor to the nation's economy, generated $1.2 trillion in economic output in 2023, accounting for 2.3% of the GDP and employing 5 million workers. The industry's prosperity, however, is facing a potential threat with the proposed rescission of the Roadless Rule.
The Roadless Rule, enacted in 2001, protects 9.298 miles of hiking trails within roadless areas across National Forests. The rule also safeguards 17,936 miles of non-motorized trails and 1,525 miles of congressionally designated National Scenic and Historic Trails.
The Honorable Brooke Rollins, the Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture, has proposed the rescission of the Roadless Rule. The move has sparked concerns within the outdoor recreation community, with the organization American Hiking Society (AHS) leading the opposition.
Emily Benson, the Senior Director of Programs and Advocacy at AHS, has submitted comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal with Docket ID: FR Doc. 2025-16581, expressing the organization's opposition to the proposed rescission.
The comments highlight the potential negative impact on the hiking community's access to and enjoyment of these trails. New roads through these areas, as a result of the rescission, could potentially scar the landscape and alter use for generations.
Moreover, the comments emphasize the importance of these trails to rural communities, many of which rely on the character and nature of the trails as a local economic driver. The AHS also points out that adding additional roads through rescission could add to the maintenance backlog, exacerbating the growing deferred maintenance backlog across the National Forest System, a problem caused not by the Roadless Rule, but by chronic underfunding by Congress.
The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) accompanying the proposal must ensure access to and preservation of hiking trails across National Forests. The EIS should also include data and analysis on current and future use levels of recreational opportunities in national forest Roadless Areas, as well as examine the impact to rural communities reliant on the outdoor recreation economy if the Roadless Rule is rescinded.
The proposal aims to return decision-making to local levels for national forests, a move that some argue will provide flexibility for necessary forest management and construction of roads in specific circumstances, as already allowed by the Roadless Rule. However, the AHS and other advocates argue that the benefits of preserving these trails outweigh any potential gains from increased logging or other activities.
As the debate continues, the future of these trails and the outdoor recreation economy they support hangs in the balance. The EIS, due for completion in 2024, will play a crucial role in determining the fate of these protected areas.
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