Last year, the federal government began the process of rescinding the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, a move that could open approximately 58 million acres of national forest lands to road development. The decision sparked strong backlash from conservation groups and public lands advocates across the country. While the Department of Agriculture (USDA) has not yet released its Draft Environmental Impact Statement or opened an official comment period, communities in key states are already organizing in anticipation of this next phase.
This month, at least five town halls were held in cities such as South Lake Tahoe, Rocklin, Trabuco, and Duarte, California. Here, community members gathered to learn more about this latest attack on public lands and to share their support for their local forests. At these gatherings, attendees' verbal comments were recorded by a court reporter and will be submitted once the official public comment period opens, which has yet to be announced. Those who have not been able to attend any of these events are encouraged to submit a comment at sc.org/RoadlessRule.