JACKSON, Wyo. — The Greater Yellowstone Coalition (GYC) is hosting three postcard writing events this week and is inviting the public to attend and weigh in on the Roadless Rule, which is on a potential path for rescission by the federal government after a public comment period that ends Sept. 21.
Last week, GYC announced a series of postcard writing events across Wyoming, Idaho and Montana in order to give residents an opportunity to learn more about the Roadless Rule and send a postcard to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Postcards for Public Lands in Jackson will take place on Thursday, Sept. 3, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at Black Diamond Equipment, 160 West Pearl Ave. Events will also be hosted in Driggs, Idaho, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on both Sept. 2 and 3 at Wydaho Roasters, 495 South Main Street. Those interested in attending an event are encouraged to RSVP online. Public comments can also be submitted online.
“Some of the wildest, most pristine forest lands in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem are under threat by the proposed rollback of the 25-year-old Roadless Rule,” GYC wrote on its website. “Millions of acres of spectacular, undeveloped places are at risk of development. Join us in a community near you to speak up for your favorite wild places and write a postcard urging the USDA to keep the Roadless Rule.”
On Aug. 18, the Trump administration announced that it would be moving forward with plans to rescind the 2001 Roadless Rule in its entirety. The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) states that Wyoming consists of 3,257,000 acres of Inventoried Roadless Areas. USDA said in a press release that the rule, which protects 44 million acres nationwide, has frustrated land managers, restricted road construction and served as a barrier to wildfire risk mitigation. According to USDA, the action would remove regulatory burdens and allow local forest managers to make roadless area decisions. Colorado and Idaho maintain state-specific roadless rules, which will not be affected by the proposal and will remain in effect.
“Our forests can’t afford another decade of inaction,” USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a statement. “Across the country, we’ve watched preventable conditions – overgrown stands, insect outbreaks and disease – turn healthy landscapes into tinderboxes. For too long, outdated restrictions have kept tens of millions of forested acres off-limits to the very treatments that improve forest health and reduce wildfire risk to our communities.”
The Roadless Rule originally went into effect in March 2001, intending to provide “lasting protection for inventoried roadless areas within the National Forest System in the context of multiple-use management.” The summary of the original rule states that USDA adopted it to prohibit road construction, road reconstruction, and timber harvesting in inventoried roadless areas on USFS lands.
Advocates for the Roadless Rule decry what they see as an attack on public lands. GYC is a nonprofit with the principal mission of protecting lands, waters, and wildlife of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, “now and for future generations.” GYC argues that more roads could actually increase the risk of wildfires, saying that 90% of wildfires in the country start within half a mile of a road. Those opposed to the rollback also point to a possible decline in pristine wildlife habitat; outdoor recreation like hunting, fishing and hiking; cattle grazing; and clean watersheds.
A recent poll by Keep it Public, Wyoming found that more than nine of 10 Wyoming residents oppose selling or privatizing public lands. “The near-universal opposition to selling off public lands included almost all Republican voters polled, 91% of whom support current multiple-use management practices over sell-off,” the coalition stated in its release of the poll results.
Though many people are concerned about the possibility of commercial logging, mining, and oil and gas development on formerly protected land, Gov. Mark Gordon expressed his support for removing the Roadless Rule.
“[Bringing] management of our public lands closer to the people that actually live, work, and play there has been a steady drumbeat of mine during my time as Governor of Wyoming,” Gordon said in a statement. “Proper management includes an opportunity to keep our forests healthy and less prone to fire dangers. Wyoming has demonstrated our commitment to sensible stewardship. The USDA and USFS, under the leadership of Secretary Rollins and [USFS Chief Tom] Schultz, are doing great work recognizing our efforts, making this trust a reality by rescinding the 2001 Roadless Rule.”
