This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), the next step in its plan to rescind the longstanding Roadless Rule, rolling back protections on 45 million acres of backcountry national forests. Outdoor Alliance, a coalition of outdoor recreation groups working together to protect public lands, released maps today that show exactly what’s at stake in terms of impacts to outdoor recreation, fragmentation of wildlife habitat, water quality degradation and increased human-caused wildfires.  In response to the DEIS which offers an unusually short 30-day window for public comment,  Outdoor Alliance is coordinating advocacy efforts in defense of the Roadless Rule, urging the public to contact their members of Congress prior to the comment period ending on Sept. 20 and provide public comment opposing its rescission. An action alert on Outdoor Alliance’s website also makes it easy for the public to contact their Congressional representatives. The Roadless Rule protects some of the nation’s most cherished backcountry landscapes, places where people hike, climb, bike, ski, paddle, hunt, and explore. Many of the places protected by the Roadless Rule are also open to motorized recreation of various kinds, including ORVs and motorcycles; the Roadless Rule protects these areas from new road development and timber harvesting. “The Roadless Rule has long provided a practical balance for managing backcountry national forests. It protects these landscapes from development while still allowing for active management and a wide array of recreation, including human-powered and motorized opportunities,” said Adam Cramer, CEO of Outdoor Alliance. “Policies that successfully balance conservation, recreation, and management are rare, and the Roadless Rule is one of them. Rescinding the rule would undermine decades of successful land management and put some of the country’s best backcountry recreation at risk.” If the rule is rescinded, the impacts could be significant across the country, affecting approximately:25,000 miles of trails8,500 climbing routesNearly 1,000 miles of whitewaterMore than 10,000 miles of mountain biking routesAdvocates with Outdoor Alliance and many other conservation and outdoor recreation groups warn that opening currently protected lands to road construction and industrial logging would not only degrade the backcountry experience, but also strain already limited federal resources. National forests already contain more than 380,000 miles of roads, many of which are in disrepair, raising concerns about expanding infrastructure into areas that people depend on for quiet, undeveloped recreation. Roads built into protected forests also result in increases in human-caused wildfires. Beyond recreation, these roadless areas are essential to protecting drinking water for communities, safeguarding wildlife habitat, and maintaining climate-resilient ecosystems that support both urban and rural populations connected to these landscapes. The USDA’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) outlines potential changes that could open currently protected areas to road construction and industrial logging. WHAT/WHERE: Members of the outdoor community are encouraged to submit public comments to the USDA and contact their elected officials in support of maintaining the Roadless Rule.Link to comment portalWHEN:Comment period ends Sept. 20, 2026 WHO: Interviews are available upon request with Adam Cramer, CEO at Outdoor Alliance, or Louis Geltman, VP for Policy and Government Relations at Outdoor Alliance. About Outdoor Alliance Outdoor Alliance is a nonprofit coalition of organizations that includes American Whitewater, American Canoe Association, Access Fund, International Mountain Bicycling Association, Winter Wildlands Alliance, The Mountaineers, American Alpine Club, Runners for Public Lands, Colorado Mountain Club, and Surfrider Foundation. For more than ten years, Outdoor Alliance has united the human-powered outdoor recreation community to achieve lasting conservation victories. Our work has helped to permanently protect 40 million acres of public land, secure $5.1 billion in funding for the outdoors, and convert more than 100,000 outdoor enthusiasts into outdoor advocates. For more information, visit www.outdooralliance.org

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