National Forest Roadless Area Conservation Act

May 22, 2002

A bill, called the National Forest Roadless Area Conservation Act, that would enact protections for roadless areas of national forests is gathering cosponsors in the House. The bill will introduce legislation that would codify the Roadless Area Conservation Rule by calling for the full protection of 58.5 million acres of wild National Forest land in 39 states. The bill currently has 78 cosponsors.

"This legislation is in response to an overwhelming public response to protect our forests," wrote Sherwood Boehlert of New York and Jay Inslee of Washington in a letter to their fellow members of the House. "A record breaking 1.6 million people submitted comments on the policy, the vast majority of which were in support of a strong protection plan."

If passed, the Roadless Area Conservation Act would prohibit new road construction or reconstruction in the unroaded portions of inventoried roadless areas on almost 60 million acres of National Forest System lands. The regulation would bar most logging, mining and other development requiring roads.

The bill would allow new roads to be constructed in specified circumstances, such as to fight fires or when other natural disasters threaten public safety. The measure does not close any existing roads or trails, and does not affect the right of access to property owned by states or individuals. Logging of certain timber to reduce the risk of wildfires, and permit the expansion of oil and gas operations within existing or renewed leased areas are sufficient reasons under the proposed bill to permit road building.

The bill has been endorsed by The Outdoor Industry Foundation’s Business for Wilderness program. This group has released a new report entitled “Protect Today, Play Tomorrow: The Importance of Roadless Area Conservation to Backcountry Recreation.”

The report profiles nine recreation destinations located across the country from Georgia to California. Each location is housed within the 58.5 million acres of “roadless areas” covered by the popular forest conservation policy formally known as the Roadless Area Conservation Rule that was issued in January 2001. Since this time, the Forest Service has placed this rule on hold and issued weaker interim directives. The long-term future of the roadless rule is in question.

“The human-powered outdoor recreation industry must protect precious wild forests from roads and other development in order to preserve recreation opportunities and maintain the economic viability of businesses and communities across the country,” said Frank Hugelmeyer, President of Outdoor Industry Foundation.

Business owners confirmed, “…Our customers run and hike trails, climb mountains, go camping or backpacking …our business depends on their continued access to and enjoyment of unspoiled land…"

In addition to testimonials, “Protect Today, Play Tomorrow” describes how roads would change the landscape and decrease the quality of the recreation experience in these places. . The report makes it clear that while not every roadless area outlined in this report is in imminent danger, Business for Wilderness is working to make sure that they are not threatened in the future. “Without a national policy, we fear that these recreational treasures will be frittered away over time, road by road, section by section,” said James Clark, President of Watermark Boat Division. “Once these areas are lost, they are lost forever.”

The Outdoor Industry Association was founded in 1989 to promote and preserve the human-powered outdoor recreation industry. Located in Boulder, Colorado, it provides trade services for over 4,000 manufacturers distributors, suppliers, retailers, sales representatives and climbing gyms in the outdoor industry. Business for Wilderness, a program of the Outdoor Industry Association’s non-profit foundation, engages outdoor recreation companies in protecting America’s public lands.