Take Action: Roadless Rule Comments

by on August 20, 2026 with No Comments

The 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule is a U.S. Forest Service policy that protects nearly 58 million acres of undeveloped national forests and grasslands from new road building and commercial logging.

The Roadless Rule stops the creation of new roads in designated inventoried roadless areas.

The Roadless Rule restricts timber harvesting, though thinning trees to reduce wildfire risk is still permitted.

The Roadless Rule protects hundreds of municipal watersheds that supply drinking water.

The Roadless Rule preserves large, uninterrupted habitats for rare and endangered animals.

The Roadless Rule reduces the wildfire ignition risk due to limited road accessibility–most roads are ignitions hotspots.

The federal government proposes to rescind protections for roughly 44 to 45 million acres of these roadless areas, returning management decisions back to individual forests and states.

California has approximately 4.4 million acres of protected roadless areas. This accounts for roughly 21% of the state’s 21 million total acres of national forest land.

Forests with Roadless Rule protections in Southern California include: the high-elevation backcountry within the Los Padres, Angeles, San Bernardino, and Cleveland National Forests.

This week, the federal government released a proposed rule change that rescinds the protections of the Roadless Rule and allows for the addition of roads, logging, and more harmful activities on forest lands.

The comment portal is expected to open this week and close at midnight on September 21, 2026.

Submit your comments to: https://www.regulations.gov/

Tell the feds you oppose the rule change.

A red background with the HFE logo upper right and a thermometer pointing to the red zone in the upper left. Across the top it reads: The Roadless Rule. There is a photo of forest lands. Below the photo the text reads: The 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule is a U.S. Forest Service policy that protects nearly 58 million acres of undeveloped national forests and grasslands from new road building and commercial logging.
A red background with the HFE logo upper right and a thermometer pointing to the red zone in the upper left. Across the top it reads: The Roadless Rule. There is a photo of creek flowing. Below the photo the text reads: The Roadless Rule protects hundreds of municipal watersheds that supply drinking water.
A red background with the HFE logo upper right and a thermometer pointing to the red zone in the upper left. Across the top it reads: The Roadless Rule. There is a photo of a forested area. Below the photo the text reads: The federal government proposes to rescind protections for roughly 44 to 45 million acres of these roadless areas, returning management decisions back to individual forests and states.
A red background with the HFE logo upper right and a thermometer pointing to the red zone in the upper left. Across the top it reads: The Roadless Rule. There is a photo of a forested area. Below the photo the text reads: This week, the federal government released a proposed rule change that rescinds the protections of the Roadless Rule and allows for the addition of roads, logging, and more harmful activities on forest lands.
A red background with the HFE logo upper right and a thermometer pointing to the red zone in the upper left. Across the top it reads: The Roadless Rule. There is a photo of forest lands. Below the photo the text reads: The Roadless Rule restricts timber harvesting, though thinning trees to reduce wildfire risk is still permitted.
A red background with the HFE logo upper right and a thermometer pointing to the red zone in the upper left. Across the top it reads: The Roadless Rule. There is a photo of a redtailed hawk in the sky. Below the photo the text reads: The Roadless Rule preserves large, uninterrupted habitats for rare and endangered animals.
A red background with the HFE logo upper right and a thermometer pointing to the red zone in the upper left. Across the top it reads: The Roadless Rule. There is a photo of a forested area. Below the photo the text reads: California has approximately 4.4 million acres of protected roadless areas. This accounts for roughly 21% of the state's 21 million total acres of national forest land.
A red background with the HFE logo upper right and a thermometer pointing to the red zone in the upper left. Across the top it reads: The Roadless Rule. There is a photo of a forested area at sunset. Below the photo the text reads: The comment portal is expected to open this week and close at midnight on September 21, 2026.
A red background with the HFE logo upper right and a thermometer pointing to the red zone in the upper left. Across the top it reads: The Roadless Rule. There is a photo of forest lands. Below the photo the text reads: The Roadless Rule stops the creation of new roads in designated inventoried roadless areas.
A red background with the HFE logo upper right and a thermometer pointing to the red zone in the upper left. Across the top it reads: The Roadless Rule. There is a photo of a forested area. Below the photo the text reads: The Roadless Rule reduces the wildfire ignition risk due to limited road accessibility--most roads are ignitions hotspots.
A red background with the HFE logo upper right and a thermometer pointing to the red zone in the upper left. Across the top it reads: The Roadless Rule. There is a photo of a person backpacking in the forest. Below the photo the text reads: Forests with Roadless Rule protections in Southern California include: the high-elevation backcountry within the Los Padres, Angeles, San Bernardino, and Cleveland National Forests.
A red background with the HFE logo upper right and a thermometer pointing to the red zone in the upper left. Across the top it reads: Take Action. There is a photo of a forested area at sunset. Below the photo the text reads: Submit your comments to: https://www.regulations.gov/ Tell the feds you oppose the rule change.