Roadless Rule Public Comment Period Draws A Million Comments

The following press release is courtesy of Alaska Environment:

RELEASE: Americans deliver 1 million comments in favor of protecting wild forests

USDA Forest Service proposal to rescind Roadless Rule puts Alaska’s great outdoors at risk

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Alaskans have made their support for the Roadless Area Conservation Rule (or ‘Roadless Rule’) clear through a public comment period that closed on Tuesday, Oct. 6. Nationwide, more than 200 organizations and tens of thousands of individuals submitted approximately 1 million comments including postcards, petitions, transcribed verbal comments and multi-page comment letters. 

“The Roadless Rule has protected Alaska’s forests for 26 years. The rule was enacted with overwhelming support in 2001 and that support continues today. These are truly special places that feed us, filter our drinking water, where wildlife live and where we connect with nature. They should remain protected,” said Dyani Lezama, Alaska Environment State Director.

The Roadless Rule designates forests across the country as “inventoried roadless areas,” prohibiting the building of new roads and commercial logging. The rule safeguards 58.5 million acres of undeveloped land nationwide, including 14.7 acres in Alaska’s National Forests, the Tongass and the Chugach. Since 2001, additional federal roadless rules have been enacted for Colorado and Idaho. In 2025, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced a plan to rescind the Roadless Rule for all states except Colorado and Idaho. 

Nationwide, if the rule is rescinded, 45 million acres of forests that currently provide recreation, wildlife habitat and clean water would be open to new roads, commercial logging, mining and drilling. A 2025 comment period on the notice of intent attracted 625,000 public comments. Ninety-nine percent of those comments opposed the proposal to rescind the rule. Despite the nearly universal opposition, the USDA proposed their rule and published a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) in August, 2026. 

The USDA must now finalize the proposed rule.

“This is a ridiculous proposal which ignores science, public opinion and our obligation to preserve our best public lands so that future generations of Americans can enjoy nature,” said Ellen Montgomery, Environment America’s Great Outdoors campaign director. “The USDA should be working on plans to keep our forests growing, protect our drinking water and preserve habitat for wildlife. Our wild forests should stay wild so we and our children and grandchildren can experience the awe and wonder found deep in the woods.”