Roadless and at risk: Advocates call for action to protect Wasatch

An aerial view of the Wasatch Mountains. Photo: Protect Our Canyons

Protect Our Canyons urges public to weigh In on Roadless Rule rollback before Sept. 19

PARK CITY — Conservation advocates are calling on Utahns to speak up as the Trump administration moves to rescind a federal rule that has shielded hundreds of thousands of acres of Wasatch forest from development for nearly 25 years.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced in June it intends to roll back the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which protects about 323,000 acres in the Wasatch and nearly 4 million acres across Utah from new road construction, large-scale logging, and other commercial development. The proposal has entered the federal scoping process, and public comments are being accepted until Sept. 19.

Protect Our Canyons, a local advocacy group, says the change threatens not only wildlife habitat and watershed quality, but also the character of some of the Wasatch’s most beloved recreation spots. “Real wildfire resilience requires holistic forest health management, not additional roads that introduce more ignition sources,” the group said in a statement. “This is a fear-mongering campaign designed to turn our national forests into commercial developments and logging operations.”

A long-standing safeguard

Adopted during the Clinton administration, the Roadless Rule restricts road building and timber. Nearly half of Utah’s national forest lands fall under roadless protections.

Kate Groetzinger, communications director for the Center for Western Priorities, told the outlet that rescinding the rule “opens about half of Utah’s forest land to logging that has been previously protected. That can drastically change the feel of some of our most popular forests.”

Supporters say forests need more management

Utah political leaders, meanwhile, celebrated the administration’s move. House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, called it a “big win” for the state. State Public Lands Policy Director Redge Johnson said the restrictions make it nearly impossible to thin overgrown forests or remove beetle-killed timber.

“Even though there are old logging roads on the ridge shown, we can not use them to remove the dead timber due to the restrictions from the roadless rule,” Johnson told Utah News Dispatch, sharing a photo of dead conifers in the Manti-La Sal National Forest. “Removing this dead timber would reduce wildfire risk, increase wildlife habitat and protect our watersheds.”

The Trump administration has framed the rollback as a wildfire prevention tool, arguing that more roads mean better access for thinning and firefighting. But conservation groups counter that 85% of wildfires are human-caused, most often along roadways, and that expanding road networks will only increase ignition risks.

Areas at risk in the Wasatch

If the rollback succeeds, the following Wasatch areas could lose roadless protections:

• The Wasatch Mountains — More than 323,000 acres providing clean drinking water and recreation.
• Millcreek Canyon — Grandeur Peak, Gobbler’s Knob, Alexander Basin, Mount Aire, and Little Water Peak; portions overlap with the proposed Mount Aire Wilderness Area.
• Mill D North, Beartrap Fork, Willow Heights — Includes Desolation Lake, Dog Lake, the Wasatch Crest Trail, and prized backcountry ski terrain.
• Cardiff, Days, Silver, and Mineral Forks — Wild, roadless basins vulnerable to ski-area expansion.
• Little Cottonwood Creek — Part of the Lone Peak Contiguous IRA, near the footprint of the proposed gondola.
• White Pine Gulch — A popular recreation area that could be targeted for commercial ski resort expansion.

What’s next

The administration must complete an environmental review, consult with tribes and local governments, and respond to public input before finalizing the change. A draft Environmental Impact Statement is expected in spring 2026, with another public comment period to follow.

For now, Protect Our Canyons is urging Utahns to submit comments during the current scoping process. “Substantive comments are necessary to ensure the problems with this proposal are on record,” the group said. “They also preserve the right to object or litigate later.”

Public comments can be submitted through the U.S. Forest Service until Sept. 19, 2025.