Roadless Area Conservation Rule

In January 2001, the U.S. Forest Service adopted the Roadless Area Conservation Rule to protect 58.5 million acres of undeveloped land in 39 states. This rule is vital as, among other reasons, it protects pristine forests that provide habitat for 1,600 threatened or endangered plants and animals and includes watersheds that provide unpolluted drinking water to 60 million Americans. These are some of the last wild places left in the United States, but they are threatened by logging and development following the Bush administration’s efforts to undermine the Roadless Rule, which contributed to conflicting court cases.

The Pew Environment Group, coinciding with the college basketball tournaments in March, recently released a video asking President Obama “take a time out” and uphold the Roadless Area Conservation Rule in order to protect America’s wildlife, water quality, wild-lands, and natural resources. Check out the video here. In the Bush administration, the interests of mining, drilling, and logging superseded environmental protection, threatening our last wild forests. Let’s take the opportunity to support PEG in asking President Obama to uphold the rule, leaving our remaining national forests protected.