Aug 19, 2025
Take Action Now to Save America's Roadless Forests!
Defend the Roadless Rule! Take Action Now to Save America's Roadless Forests!
Act Today—go to roadless.org and submit your comments to defend the Roadless Rule before the window closes on September 19th. Defend Alabama's wild places!
On August 29, 2025, the USDA published a Notice of Intent (NOI) to begin an Environmental Impact State (EIS) and formal rulemaking process to rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule (the Roadless Rule), the critical protection that has kept 44.7 million acres of America's undeveloped national forests road-free and off-limits to logging and road construction.
Why it Matters
- Scope of protection: The original Roadless Rule safeguards approximately 58 million acres of roadless national forest land in 39 states, providing crucial protection from logging and road-building. There are 13,000 acres in the State of Alabama.
- Roadless areas nationwide safeguard 354 municipal watersheds, providing drinking water for 60 million Americans. Fact Sheet
- Wildfire data show fires are four times more likely to start near roads—protecting Alabama’s roadless areas reduces risk to surrounding communities.
- National outdoor recreation generates $730 billion annually and supports 6.5 million jobs. In Alabama, protected wild places bring tourism, strengthen local economies, and ensure our public lands remain open to all—not just industry.
What the New Notice of Intent Says
- It proposes to rescind the 2001 Roadless Rule on 44.7 million acres, including in Alabama, sidelining the protective blanket of the national rule Federal Register Public Inspection.
- The USDA will prepare the EIS, analyze alternatives (including a “no-action” option to keep the Rule in place), and open a new window for public comments to influence the process.
-YOUR VOICE will determine whether these wild lands remain protected or are opened to roads and development.
Use this moment to demand continued federal protection of our roadless forests before the comment period closes on September 19th—don’t wait.
TAKE ACTION NOW
-Submit your comments to the U.S. Department of Agriculture stating why it is crucial to save our roadless forests. The public is invited to comment on the potential effects of the proposal to guide the development of the environmental impact. TIME TO COMMENT IS LIMITED. The public comment period ends September 19, 2025 at 11:59 P.M.
TO BE COUNTED, COMMENTS MUST BE ORIGINAL. You can go to roadless.org/, and follow the prompts. This site simplifies the process of creating unique messages that personalize your own connection and story sharing why Alabama forests matter to you, in your own words.
-Spread the Word Encourage your friends, family, and networks in Alabama to comment too. Every voice counts.