Take Action: Stand Up for the Roadless Rule!

[EBCNPS News List]

From the California Native Plant Society State office

Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva); Image: Jordan Collins

On August 29, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that it is moving forward with plans to rescind the Roadless Rule, which currently protects nearly 60 million acres of national forest land across the country, including 4 million acres here in California.

 

In California, Roadless Areas protect:

• Over 600 rare plant species and 26 sensitive habitats tracked by the CNDDB, from ancient Bristlecone pines to Darlingtonia fens.
• Chaparral, oak woodlands, and desert ecosystems--landscapes that require ecologically informed fire management, not logging and thinning.
• Headwaters that supply clean drinking water to millions of people.
• Tribal cultural resources and sacred lands.

Make your comment today

Why it matters

Without the protection of the Roadless Rule, our wildest forests could be opened to logging, roads, and industrial development, putting biodiversity, water, and climate resilience at risk.

 

The rollback is being sold as a wildfire solution, but science shows the opposite: wildfires are up to four times more likely to start near roads than in wilderness. Rescinding the Roadless Rule means adding more roads, more human activity, and more ignitions. 

 

The public has only 21 days to oppose this proposed change. The comment period closes on September 19. Submit your comment here: bit.ly/stayroadless

Tips for your comment

• Talk about specific places you love to explore and why Roadless Areas matter to you (check out this map from Outdoor Alliance).
• Highlight their role in protecting rare plants, clean water, and wildlife.
• Urge USDA to keep Roadless protections intact and reject road-building as a wildfire strategy.
• To learn more, see our latest blog post on the Roadless Rule.

Please, share this alert with friends and family. Together, we can protect California’s irreplaceable wildlands. 

Sincerely,

Nick Jensen

Conservation Program Director

California Native Plant Society