The U.S. Department of Agriculture has opened up public comments on their proposal to rescind the 2001 Roadless Rule, which generally prohibits road construction and timber harvesting on nearly 60 million acres of national forest land. Conservationists are urging Virginians to weigh in. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi reports.
Virginia is home to 394,000 acres of "inventoried roadless areas," national forest land that's been protected from road construction and industrial activities for 25 years. As WMRA previously reported, the USDA under President Trump announced last year it wanted to get rid of these regulations to allow for wildfire mitigation and timber production.
Conservationists say the change would put pristine natural areas – that provide recreation, clean drinking water, and unique ecosystems – at risk. Five of these roadless areas are within the proposed Shenandoah Mountain National Scenic Area, which Lynn Cameron has spent more than three decades fighting to protect.
LYNN CAMERON: Those five add up to 70,000 acres. We here in the Shenandoah Valley have an incredible resource of roadless areas all around us. … They offer incredible biodiversity, and they're just large tracts of wild nature that people can recreate in and enjoy. … The research has shown that most of the wildfires start near roads, not in the backcountry.
The USDA partially acknowledges that point in their own proposal summary, writing "while greater public access can increase human-caused ignition potential in some locations, the 2001 Roadless Rule's prohibitions have limited mechanical thinning options and some fire control tactics." They note that "timber harvest or other vegetation management activity would likely create the greatest need for new roads."
Members of the public can submit written comments about the proposal online now through September 21. Ellen Stuart-Haentjens, executive director of the Virginia Wilderness Committee, said those comments will serve as a record of public sentiment.
ELLEN STUART-HAENTJENS: Theoretically, the agency will read through those comments and evaluate them, and use those to inform and update their analysis, and if they decide to move forward and repeal the Roadless Rule, they will release a final impact statement and final rule. That, right now, is slated for sometime in 2027. … At that point, either the rule would go into effect or people will challenge it, either through congressional action or legal action.
Cameron advises concerned citizens who write in to be clear about their reasoning.
CAMERON: I think it's really helpful to frame your comments around your own personal experiences with roadless areas, so if you hike or bike or fish or ride horseback or just enjoy nature, then you should mention that, and what areas you like to recreate in. I think that shows you have some skin in the game.
Less than 48 hours into the public input period, more than 12,000 comments have already been submitted, with writers referencing national forests from the San Bernardino to the Pisgah.
