I’m writing to urge you to cosponsor, publicly support, and actively encourage your colleagues to support H.R.3930 / S.2042—the Roadless Area Conservation Act of 2025. This legislation is essential to protecting nearly 60 million acres of national forest roadless areas that safeguard drinking water, wildlife habitat, outdoor recreation economies, and some of our nation’s most significant carbon sinks.
The public’s stance on this issue is undeniable. During the comment period for the original Roadless Forest Protection Rule, 95% of 2.5 million comments supported protecting roadless areas. A 2019 Pew poll similarly found that three out of four Americans, across rural and urban communities and political affiliations, support maintaining roadless protections. Few public land issues have this level of bipartisan agreement.
For more than two decades, the Roadless Rule has survived repeated court challenges and administrative and legislative attempts to weaken it. Yet recent actions highlight how vulnerable these protections remain without the force of law. The Trump administration removed protections from over 9 million acres of the Tongass National Forest and, more recently, rolled back safeguards across nearly 60% of U.S. national forests, cutting NEPA review, limiting public objections, and fast-tracking logging projects. These rollbacks threaten old-growth forests, Indigenous lands, climate stability, salmon and wildlife habitat, and entire recreation-based economies.
Codifying the Roadless Rule would finally end that uncertainty. The Roadless Area Conservation Act of 2025 would:
• Permanently protect 58.5 million acres of national forest roadless land in 39 states.
• Safeguard watersheds that provide clean drinking water to over 60 million Americans.
• Preserve habitat for 1,600 at-risk species, supporting biodiversity and climate resilience.
• Maintain access for hiking, hunting, fishing, camping, mountain biking, and backcountry recreation for the more than 240 million people living near national forests and grasslands.
• Save taxpayer money by limiting costly new road construction and focusing on maintaining the existing 371,581-mile National Forest System road network.
• Preserve flexibility for wildfire response, emergencies, hydropower, and essential road connections for isolated communities.
Environmental organizations—including the Sierra Club, The Wilderness Society, Earthjustice, NRDC, and the Alaska Wilderness League—have emphasized that this bill is vital to protecting forests like the Tongass and ensuring these lands remain intact for future generations.
America’s national forests are irreplaceable. They provide clean air and water, support rural economies, protect wildlife, and help stabilize our climate. I strongly urge you to cosponsor H.R.3930 / S.2042, publicly support this legislation, and work to secure its passage.
Thank you for your leadership.
First sent on November 19 by BlueCollarJew
