A decade after it was first adopted by the U.S. Forest Service, the Roadless Area Conservation Rule has proven to be remarkably successful in protecting the 58.5 million acres of national forest roadless areas from road building and logging. Only about 75 miles of road building has occurred in the roadless areas – far less than the Forest Service had predicted a decade ago -- and just a miniscule fraction of the unroaded forests has been logged, mostly in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest.
America’s western public lands harbor a wealth of beauty, wildness, and open space. They protect our clean air and water, provide habitat for wildlife, and offer us places to escape the pressure, noise, and congestion of everyday life. These places are our national birthright and our children’s heritage.
