This blog post presents an op-ed published in the The News Tribune, warning that the U.S. Forest Service's proposal to rescind the Roadless Area Conservation Rule would open nearly 45 million acres of national forest — including key habitat in Washington's North Cascades Ecosystem — to logging and road-building, and urges Americans to submit public comments opposing the rule's repeal before the September 21 deadline.
Just as we humans need shelter and food to survive, many wildlife species need natural landscapes to survive. The United States was once full of sprawling wild places with vast expanses of old growth forests and rivers, teeming with millions of salmon in the West and billions of towering American chestnut trees in the East. Unfortunately, these lands are largely stories of the past, and our remaining intact landscapes are now under significant threat.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced its intention to revoke the landmark Roadless Area Conservation Rule — a move that would open nearly 45 million acres of forests — including 2 million acres of roadless areas in Washington — to logging, road-building and development.
Roadless areas — especially large, contiguous tracts — are increasingly rare, both globally and nationally. That scarcity helped prompt the U.S. Forest Service to protect what was left of these areas by enacting the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, or “Roadless Rule,” in 2001. More than a million Americans wrote in to support the rule at that time, among the most public comments ever received on a federal regulation.
These wildlands remain some of the last strongholds for many at-risk species, providing them security and shelter from harmful disturbances. Crucial for the health of many species such as mule deer and grizzly bears, roadless areas provide vital habitat that wildlife need to feed, reproduce and migrate. For species that are especially sensitive to disturbance, pristine lands are havens key to their survival.
Consider, for example, the North Cascades Ecosystem in north-central Washington. Nicknamed the “American Alps,” it’s one of the largest contiguous wild areas left in the lower 48 states, spanning North Cascades National Park, the Okanogan-Wenatchee and Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie national forests and several designated wilderness areas.
These lands conserved under the national Roadless Rule form much of the connective tissue holding this landscape together. This remote terrain sustains Washington’s largest remaining population of Canada lynx — a state-endangered and federally listed species — and provides refuge for a host of other vulnerable animals, including wolverine, mountain goats, Northern spotted owl and Pacific fisher.
Once roads are built, a domino effect of landscape changes occurs, making it nearly impossible to maintain or restore functionality. Every new road disrupts habitat not only at the road itself, but also beyond the road, spreading invasive species and increasing disturbances to habitats. Ultimately, roads enable logging, oil and gas drilling and other developments, which can render the habitat dysfunctional for many species.
Protecting roadless areas is one of the simplest, most cost-effective ways to ensure that wildlife has the space and resources needed for generations to come. We don’t need to pave, log and mine away our last intact habitats. Once they are gone, so too are the species that rely on them.
Americans have until Sept. 21, to submit comments denouncing the rescission of the Roadless Rule. The future of our beloved wildlife depends on this long-standing rule and our collective commitment to defend it.
Kristin Botzet is a representative for the Northwest Field Conservation program at Defenders of Wildlife. She resides in Twisp in the Methow Valley, surrounded by roadless areas.
Author
