Roadless ‘timeout’ crucial to securing outdoors legacy

A united front of public-land users urges the USDA to keep moving towards a return to the strong federal protections of the 2001 Roadless Rule

U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made a far-reaching decision on May 28 by issuing a timeout on development of America’s national forest roadless areas.

The most dramatic administrative action in support of roadless backcountry lands in years, it represents a huge leap toward responsible management of these vitally important landscapes.

The secretary’s announcement offers backcountry lands and waters — and the outdoor activities that we enjoy on them — significantly increased security for the next 12 months. Vilsack’s action, a temporary directive requiring high-level review of projects in roadless areas, is commendable, but it’s just a first step. Within the next year, the administration must reinstate a long-term management rule that will conserve America’s remaining roadless backcountry.

America’s national forests and grasslands are a cultural legacy and a national treasure. Encompassing almost 193 million acres, these mountains, forests, plains and waterways also include approximately 58.5 million acres of inventoried roadless areas, or backcountry. Roadless areas provide high-quality outdoor opportunities to citizens and contribute to the $730 billion generated annually across the country by the human-powered recreation and hunting and fishing industries.

Despite widespread public support for roadless area conservation, uncertainty has persisted in recent years about the future of our backcountry lands. Existing protections have faced legal challenges, leaving these landscapes and our outdoor traditions in jeopardy.

Our three organizations — the Outdoor Alliance, Outdoor Industry Association and Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership — have formed a united front of public-lands users to urge the U.S. Department of Agriculture to implement management rules conserving our roadless backcountry.

The human-powered outdoor recreation community and the sportsmen’s community enjoy different activities on public lands. Our organizations represent diverse groups of outdoor enthusiasts, including hikers, mountain bikers, climbers, paddlers, backcountry skiers, hunters and anglers. Yet collectively we understand the significance of these lands in securing our outdoor pursuits. As dedicated users of America’s roadless areas, we agree that backcountry lands are an important resource whose loss would have devastating repercussions.

Recreationists of all stripes know that the scenic and recreational qualities of roadless areas help guarantee high-quality outdoor experiences. Trails, waterways, slopes, scenic vistas and solitude found on these lands provide unparalleled opportunities for experiences that refresh the body and reinvigorate the mind. Roadless areas maintain exceptional big-game habitat for hunting and clean water for blue-ribbon trout fishing. New roads in the backcountry could degrade the experiences citizens have come to expect on our public lands.

In today’s tough economy, America relies on the dollars contributed by sportsmen and outdoor recreationists more than ever. Conscientious backcountry management can maintain strong economic engines in rural communities and continue to supply stable jobs associated with hunting, fishing, hiking, mountain biking and other sustainable outdoor activities. Businesses that provide services and products to these user groups — everything from guide and outfitter services to gear stores, motels, grocery stores and gas stations — are the lifeblood of many rural communities. Responsible administration of America’s roadless areas can secure a profitable future for backcountry-dependent industries.

As development pressures continue to threaten our nation’s public lands, these acres — and the range of benefits they provide — become all the more valuable. Vilsack’s roadless directive makes important progress toward sustaining these benefits and safeguarding our national forest backcountry. Our groups speak in one voice in urging the Department of Agriculture to formalize rules that will conserve our backcountry landscapes and outdoor traditions for years to come.

George Cooper is president and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, a consortium of individuals and groups that works to preserve the traditions of hunting and fishing. Frank Hugelmeyer is president and CEO of the Outdoor Industry Association, the premier trade association for companies in the active outdoor recreation business. Mark Singleton is chairman of the Outdoor Alliance, a coalition that promotes conservation and stewardship through the promotion of sustainable, human-powered recreation.

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Learn more about The 2001 Roadless Rule & Oregon's Roadless Wildlands here