Wisconsinites Object to U.S. Forest Service Plans to Repeal 2001 Roadless Rule
“These are our lands and it is our responsibility to manage all public land for the best interest of not only our generation but to leave them even better for future generations”
Rhinelander, WI – Last night, about 100 Wisconsinites turned out at a town hall meeting where dozens voiced their objections to the U.S. Forest Service’s proposed repeal of its longstanding “Roadless Rule” that ensures parts of our national forests remain untouched by new road construction and logging. The proposed repeal of the rule is expected in early June.
A quarter century ago, the Forest Service held more than 600 public meetings across the country as part of an inclusive process to create the Roadless Rule. The rule was established in 2001 by the Clinton administration to protect approximately 60 million acres of national forests and grasslands across the U.S. by limiting the building of new roads and logging in those areas. The proposed rescission this summer would impact nearly 70,000 acres of land in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest in Northern Wisconsin.
Michael Dombeck, Chief of the U.S. Forest Service from 1997-2001, who was instrumental in creating the rule and a speaker at last night’s town hall, said: “Wisconsin is extremely fortunate to have the 1.5-million-acre Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. It’s the backbone of our cherished Northwoods character. As citizens, these are our lands and it is our responsibility to manage all public land for the best interest of not only our generation but to leave them even better for future generations.”
Dombeck most recently was Executive Director of the David Smith Post-Doctoral Conservation Research Fellowship from 2005 to 2022 at the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point.
Meleesa Johnson, Executive Director of Wisconsin’s Green Fire and moderator at last night’s event, said “Historically, the U.S. Forest Service has provided opportunity, through hundreds of town hall-style meetings, for the public to weigh in on important changes to the Service's policies. Because staff were unable to do that for the proposed rescinding of the roadless rule policy, Wisconsin conservation and environmental groups worked together to provide this opportunity to let the peoples' voices be heard.”
Town hall organizers recorded the meeting with the intention of transcribing all comments and submitting them to the Forest Service to be included in the public record. Event organizers included: Sierra Club – Wisconsin Chapter, Wisconsin’s Green Fire, Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, League of Women Voters of the Northwoods, and the Environmental Law & Policy Center.
Objections to rescinding the Roadless Rule have been voiced by other prominent Wisconsin voices. In late April, Gov. Tony Evers opposed rescission of the rule in a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins (the Forest Service is part of USDA), basing his objection on respecting Tribal sovereignty, and protecting Wisconsin’s natural resources, which are both stated top priorities of his administration.
And last November, the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission, which represents 11 Tribes in Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota, sent a letter to the Forest Service stating their opposition to President Trump’s intent to lift the national forest protections.
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