Popular Roadless Rule conservation measure protects 44 million acres of U.S. Forest Service lands from destructive and expensive roadbuilding and logging and supports outdoor recreation

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined a bipartisan coalition of 164 Members of Congress led by Representative Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.-06) and Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) in urging the Trump Administration to abandon its proposal to rescind the Roadless Rule, a guardrail protecting 44 million acres of National Forest System lands.

In a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Forest Service, the lawmakers criticized the lack of meaningful public engagement, calling for the Department to extend the comment period, hold in-person public meetings, and conduct full Tribal consultation. The lawmakers also demanded the Trump Administration halt its rescission effort and instead focus on successful implementation of this bedrock policy.

"Since its adoption in 2001, the Roadless Rule has served as a cornerstone of public lands conservation, now protecting approximately 44 million acres of National Forest System lands across 37 states," wrote the lawmakers. "These areas provide clean drinking water, critical wildlife habitat, carbon storage, and world-class recreation opportunities. Iconic landscapes such as the Tongass National Forest in Alaska, the Gila National Forest in New Mexico, and the George Washington National Forest in Virginia exemplify the ecological, cultural, and economic importance of these lands."

"By avoiding the construction and maintenance of new roads, the rule saves taxpayers billions of dollars," they continued. "The Forest Service already faces a road maintenance backlog of nearly $6 billion across its existing system. Expanding road networks into remote and often economically unviable areas would only increase these costs."

"After 25 years of successful implementation, the conclusion is clear: the Roadless Rule is effective, widely supported, and essential to responsible forest management. Rescinding it would undermine decades of progress and impose unnecessary environmental and fiscal costs," they concluded.

The full text of the letter can be found here.

Senator Cortez Masto has consistently fought to protect Nevada's treasured outdoor spaces. She successfully defeated a proposed mass public lands sell off in the One Big Beautiful Bill and opposed Steve Pearce for Director of the Bureau of Land Management because of his decades-long record opposing public lands. The Senator is a champion of conservation efforts in the Lake Tahoe Basin. She has introduced legislation to permanently codify fee-free days of public service of federal lands.

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