White House Dissolves 'Roadless Rule', Patagonia Demands Public Involvement and Protests Decision
Headline: Outdoor Community Rallies Against Trump Administration's Plan to Overturn Roadless Rule
The outdoor community, including renowned athletes like Tommy Caldwell, Jeremy Jones, and Nick Russell, along with organisations such as Patagonia, the Sierra Club, and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), have united to protest the White House's plan to overturn the Roadless Rule.
The Trump administration's proposal is part of President Trump's executive order Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation. If implemented, the plan would open 58 million acres of national forest to roadbuilding and logging, previously protected under the 2001 Roadless Rule. This move would impact 45 million acres of public lands.
The Roadless Rule, implemented in 2001, limits new roads, timber harvest, and development across 58.5 million acres in 37 states. An interactive map created by the Outdoor Alliance (OA) showcases the public lands under threat if the Roadless Rule is overturned. The map reveals that the 45 million acres under threat include 8,659 climbing routes and bouldering problems, 768 miles of whitewater paddling runs, and 25,121 miles of trails.
The OA provides an online tool for supporters to leave comments on the White House plan, or the public can send comments directly to the government through Regulations.gov. Patagonia's CEO, Ryan Gellert, opposes the measure and believes it is a way for the administration to extract resources from public lands.
Jeremy Jones asked his followers to leave a comment opposing the rescission of so many acres of public land on Instagram, stating that public comment is open until September 19th. Tommy Caldwell detailed how some public lands near his home in Estes Park, Colo., would be threatened if the Roadless Rule is overturned.
The USDA's proposal aligns with President Trump's executive order Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation. The USDA claims that rescinding the Roadless Rule will help address wildfires and encourage responsible forest management. However, this claim has been met with opposition from organisations like Patagonia and the outdoor community.
The Roadless Rule was approved after 600 public meetings and received sweeping support from a large majority of comments. The comment period for the proposal to overturn the Roadless Rule ends this week, on September 19. The outdoor community urges its supporters to make their voices heard and leave comments opposing the plan to overturn the Roadless Rule.
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