Please go to sc.org/RoadlessRule and submit your comments and say, “Protect and keep the present Roadless Rule”.

In a display of extreme ecological ignorance, President Donald Trump has proposed through the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Forest Service (FS), rescinding the current “Roadless Rule”.  Instead of protection for over 58.5 million acres of National Forests (NFs), so that roads, logging, mining, off-road vehicle use, grazing, wildfires, and other harmful activities are almost eliminated, the Trump proposal is for zero acres of “Roadless Areas” (RAs) to be protected in our NFs.

The 755,000 acres of National Forests and Grasslands in Texas (NFGT) has 4,000 acres designated as RAs.  Those 4,000 acres are in Sam Houston National Forest and include the Little Lake Creek Roadless Area (about 250 acres), Big Woods Roadless Area (about 250 acres), Big Creek Scenic Area (1,920 acres), and Winters Bayou Scenic Area (1,587 acres).

These 4,000 acres of RAs are only 0.53% of the NFGT.  Scientists say some of the reasons that RAs are important include:

1. They protect forest ecosystem integrity.

2. They provide social values (clean air and water, hiking, fishing, hunting, and other compatible recreational uses, beautiful landscapes, etc.).

3. They create strongholds for wildlife and wildlands.

4. They store carbon and moderate climate.

5. They provide opportunities for medicine, food, and cultural practices.

6. They significantly contribute to preservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services. 

There are over 386,000 miles of roads in our NFs.  The FS can’t maintain these roads because it lacks money and personnel. Many of these NF roads erode and pollute our streams and lakes where we get our drinking water and aquatic life and fish live.  Humans cause about 84% of wildfires.  Since roads provide more access for more human activities that cause wildfires, RAs prevent more wildfires due to humans.

The Sierra Club is pushing for 1 million signatures from people who want to protect the current  Roadless Area Rule.  Please go to sc.org/RoadlessRule and submit your comments and say, “Protect and keep the present Roadless Rule”.

Deadline for comments is September 21, 2026.  Tell your friends, families, co-workers, and others about this so that they can submit comments against this terrible proposal.  Protect all Roadless Areas today!