Whether its water, wildlife, or wildlands, roads have been identified as the major impact on the forest environment. Many national forest roads were built during the frenzied decades of the logging boom and were simply abandoned.
Whether its water, wildlife, or wildlands, roads have been identified as the major impact on the forest environment. Many national forest roads were built during the frenzied decades of the logging boom and were simply abandoned.
The Forest Service currently has around 375,000 miles of known system roads – enough to travel around the earth 15 times. Many of these roads are unneeded, causing tremendous environmental damage, and should be reclaimed and reforested.
Citing evidence that the US Forest Service failed to comply with environmental laws, a federal judge agreed with conservationists concerns and struck down the Salmon-Challis National Forest’s Travel Management Plan, which would have allowed motorized use on hundreds of miles of trails - causing damage to forest resources like clean water, wetlands and wildlife.