Arizona often brings to mind images of wide deserts, saguaro cacti, and sunbathing lizards. The Grand Canyon State has all this, but it is also home to millions of acres of green forests. Over 11 million acres of the state are public national forests. Of that 11 million, more than one million are protected by the “Roadless Rule”, including parts of the Prescott, Tonto, Coconino, Kaibab, Apache-Sitgreaves, and Coronado National Forests.
Arizona’s Wild Forests
Many of these areas serve as critical habitat for threatened and endangered species like the Mexican spotted owl, Apache Trout and jaguar. Roadless areas in Arizona preserve the state’s pristine outdoor recreation areas, as well as its wildlife. Arizona’s backcountry is popular among outdoor enthusiasts due to its expansive and undisturbed wilderness. Activities such as camping, hunting, hiking, and fishing require quiet and undisturbed land, and roadless areas in places like the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, the Black Hills, or the Tonto National Forest provide exactly that.
Keeping the Roadless Rule strong in Arizona is more than a regulatory issue—it’s a commitment to future generations. These forests don’t just belong to us; they belong to the future. Protecting them means defending clean water, wildlife habitat, and the quiet beauty that defines the Arizona wild.
Roadless Areas At Risk
The Roadless Area Conservation Rule (Roadless Rule) is a federal policy that protects nearly 59 million acres of National Forest land across the United States.The Roadless Rule protects wild areas that possess qualities such as “uncommon geological formations . . . Unique social, cultural, or historical characteristics . . . [or] exceptional hunting and fishing opportunities.” These lands are stretches of undeveloped forest in the country, free from the new roads, cars, and development. The rule restricts most new road construction and prevents harmful industries, such as logging, from destroying wild and backcountry areas.
The Roadless Rule does allow for existing road maintenance and limited new development. Exemptions exist for activities such as wildfire prevention, public safety, and conservation activities. While not perfect, the rule helps protect wild areas and ecosystems while allowing for some development in specific situations. Eliminating this rule would strip millions of acres of land of protection and allow for environmentally harmful development, logging, and mining activities.
The US Department of Agriculture has announced that it will rescind the Roadless Rule. If completed, this rescission will allow for new road construction through some of the wildest parts of our national forests. It will allow for increased timber harvesting and new construction on roughly 59 million acres of otherwise protected land.
Elk and deer populations could be disrupted by the development of new mining operations. Rivers could be disturbed by new roads. Birds could lose their habitat to logging.
If we allow increased construction in these areas, wild places could disappear. Hunting and fishing could become strained. Campers and hikers might trade birdsong for the sound of cars.
Tell the Forest Service: Don’t put millions of acres of roadless forests on the chopping block
Forests
Tell the Forest Service: Don’t put millions of acres of roadless forests on the chopping block
45 million acres of national forests could be opened to road-building, logging and mining. And we only have three weeks to gather public comments.
Authors
Ellen runs campaigns to protect America’s beautiful places, from local beachfronts to remote mountain peaks. She sits on the Steering Committee of the Arctic Defense Campaign and co-coordinates the Climate Forests Campaign. Ellen previously worked as the organizing director for Environment America’s Climate Defenders campaign and managed grassroots campaign offices across the country. Ellen lives in Denver, where she likes to hike in Colorado’s mountains.
