Our undeveloped national forests are the heart of our public land. But now one of the most important -- and most underappreciated -- conservation policies is on the verge of being cut by Trump. If the Roadless Area Conservation Rule is repealed, 45 million acres of pristine national forests across the country would be opened up for the first time in over 20 years to road building and the logging, mining, and extractive industries that come with that.

The policy was created by the Forest Service because it was ecologically critical, fiscally responsible, and overwhelmingly popular. Now the administration is repealing it citing fire concerns and timber value - but neither of those justifications stands up to scrutiny.

Last year, over 600,000 people voiced their support for this rule, but the Trump administration is steamrolling ahead and ignoring the American public. Our goal is to continue to demonstrate how popular this policy is, and to raise more awareness about it, by submitting even more comments to the administration than last year. 📣 Join your voice with thousands of others by submitting your comment today!

Visit sc.org/RoadlessRule to submit your feedback. The deadline is midnight, Sept 21.

How this will impact the Southeast United States

Nearly all the Roadless areas in the eastern United States are concentrated in Appalachia. More than one million acres of Appalachian forests and rivers are currently protected by Roadless Areas, which provide the best remaining fish and wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities. 14% of the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests are Roadless areas. 

Across the Southeast, a few of the iconic and beloved lands and waters that will lose protections include:

• The rim of the Linville Gorge, known as the Grand Canyon of the East.
• The Black Mountain Crest Trail—the toughest trail in Appalachia that tops out at the summit of Mount Mitchell, the highest point in the Eastern U.S.
• Craggy Wilderness Study Area, part of the proposed Craggy National Scenic Area only 19 miles from downtown Asheville
• The headwaters of the Chattooga River, made famous by the movie Deliverance.
• The edge of the Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness and home of Joyce Kilmer Forest—the largest old-growth in the East.
• Beloved trout streams and paddling on Wilson Creek and South Mills River.
• World-class mountain biking trails in North Carolina’s Pisgah National Forest.
• West Virginia’s Cranberry Glades bogs, beloved for backpacking.
• Three Sisters Roadless Area protecting the headwaters of the James River, a drinking water source for millions of Virginians.
• South Mills River, home to robust populations of endangered hellbenders and mussels
  Roadless Areas surrounding Shining Rock Wilderness, one of the most visited wilderness areas in Appalachia.
• Roadless Areas adjacent to Graveyard Fields and Black Balsam, beloved destinations along the Blue Ridge Parkway.
• Sections of the Appalachian Trail, Benton Mackaye Trail, Bartram Trail, and Mountains to Sea Trail corridors.