The US Dept of Agriculture US Forest Service announced the intent to revoke the 2001 Roadless Rule, which protects close to 60 million acres of national forest lands across the country.  In western NC that means over 123,000 acres are at risk of losing protection from road building and logging!

When the Rule was proposed back in 2001, it drew 1.6 million comments in support of protecting these valuable natural assets.  Now your comments are needed to demonstrate overwhelming support for keeping the bulldozers and chainsaws out of these treasured areas.  Submit comments through the Sierra Club's portal by the deadline of September 19th at sc.org/roadlessrule

There is no economic or other justifiable reason for riscinding the 2001 Roadless Rule.  The lands this rule protects are celebrated and enjoyed by millions of Americans.  Here in NC the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests contain over 123,000 acres of Inventoried Roadless Areas protected administratively by the 2001 Rule.   These are the very heart of backcountry experience enjoyed by hunters, climbers, hikers and horseback riders.

These important areas would be at risk if the Trump administration repeals the Roadless Rule.  In total, almost 60 million acres of national forest land across the country could lose vital protections. That means that many of the wildest spots on the map – the very heart of our public lands – could be bulldozed, logged, mined, drilled, and paved.

Roadless areas are unrivaled places for hunting, fishing, climbing, biking, and exploring. On top of that, they supply vital sources of drinking water to downstream communities, provide habitat to endangered species, and help limit the frequency of human-caused wildfires on national forests.

We can't afford to let the Trump administration continue to sell out our public lands and our country just to make billionaires richer. That's why we're doing everything we can to stop them!