More than half of our national forest lands have been roaded and developed in some way. Roads, clearcuts, gas rigs and other development wipe out habitat for fish and wildlife, pollute drinking water, and destroy wild places for outdoor recreation. They change the natural legacy that we can leave to future generations. Roads and logging also increase fire risk; Forest Service studies have found that fires, especially large ones, occur more frequently in areas that are already roaded than in roadless areas.

For these reasons and more, the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, popularly known as the Roadless Rule, was issued in 2001. It currently protects almost 50 million wild acres in national forests throughout the lower 48 states from virtually all roadbuilding and logging – one of the largest public land conservation decisions in America’s history. Roadless protection is wildly popular. Coloradans, and Americans across the country, have consistently voiced overwhelming support for the Roadless Rule whenever there has been an opportunity. The Rule takes into account cumulative impacts that occur across the landscape and the value of shrinking wildlands to the nation as a whole.

While the Roadless Rule protects wildlands from potentially devastating activities, it is also a balanced measure that allows many important actions to continue in roadless areas. Fire-protection work, access to private lands, and commercial activities, such as ski area expansion and coal mining were all permitted before the Rule was issued in 2001 and are still permitted in some cases under the Roadless Rule. These balanced provisions were developed after years of scientific and public scrutiny and debate and should remain the guiding policy for Colorado’s roadless areas.

Although the Bush administration attempted to repeal the Roadless Rule and replace it with a measure that offered no protection, a 2006 federal court ruling found that the Bush administration efforts were illegal and affirmed the Rule as the law of the land. Now, however, instead of a new nationwide rule, the Forest Service has proposed a special rule for Colorado that would greatly reduce the protection for Colorado’s 4.1 million acres of roadless area.

For example, extremely broad exemptions to the prohibitions on logging and road construction in roadless areas would be allowed under the proposed Colorado rule. Protection would be completely removed for ski areas and areas zoned for ski area expansion. More logging and roadbuilding would be allowed in sensitive places that harbor critical natural values such as crucial wildlife habitat, outstanding recreation opportunities, and watersheds for Colorado’s drinking water.

Without the protections of the Roadless Rule, some of Colorado’s most valuable wild areas would be at risk. For example, Herman Gulch, a popular recreation area accessed via a trailhead less than an hour’s drive from Denver, is in a national forest roadless area. It provides a getaway from the urban world and is a refuge of wildflowers in the summer and an area for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in the winter. The Sourdough Trail, popular for hiking and cross-country skiing west of Boulder, is also in a roadless area. The Hermosa roadless area, just north of Durango, is home to exceptional aquatic and wildlife habitat for fishing, hunting, and other outdoor recreation. The Pagoda Peak Roadless Area in northwest Colorado is the summer range for part of the largest elk herd in North America and provides some of the best hiking, horseback riding, fishing, and wildlife viewing in Colorado.

Already, the U.S. Forest Service is attempting to move ahead with logging, oil and gas production and coal mining in Colorado’s roadless areas. Without the Roadless Rule’s protections, these areas are at risk. Colorado Wild is waging an active battle to protect our roadless areas, and will be calling on members and supporters like you to voice support for roadless area protection, as this rulemaking progresses.

An initial comment period for the proposed rule has just concluded, though late comments will be accepted. Expect another opportunity for public participation later this year when the draft environmental impact statement is released, and public hearings will likely be held. Keep checking this web page for the latest threats to Colorado’s national forest roadless areas and how you can help protect these important areas.