What the Roadless Rule repeal could mean for Utah trails

The Wasatch Crest Trail would be at risk under a rollback of the Roadless Rule. Photo: Visit Utah

PARK CITY, Utah — Trails in the Wasatch Mountains and Uintas could lose a layer of protection under a federal move to rescind the 2001 Roadless Rule, a regulation that has safeguarded millions of acres of undeveloped national forest land for more than two decades.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced in June that it intends to rescind the rule nationally, except in Idaho and Colorado, which have state-specific versions. The decision would open up approximately 45 million acres of roadless land to new roads, logging, and other forms of development, according to USDA statements. Secretary Brooke Rollins argued the change would “eliminate impediments to responsible forest management,” including thinning projects and fire prevention measures.

Conservation and recreation groups say the rollback would jeopardize prized trails and landscapes. Outdoor Alliance, a national nonprofit representing human-powered recreation, estimates that 25,121 miles of trails across the United States pass through roadless areas.
“Outdoor Alliance uses our GIS Lab, which draws crowdsourced data from onX, American Whitewater, and federal, state, and local recreation data,” the group said in a statement. “We have the most complete representation of human-powered recreation in the U.S.”

The group highlights roadless protections as crucial for some of the nation’s most iconic destinations, including the Pacific Crest Trail in California and Washington, Hyalite Canyon in Montana, and the Maah Daah Hey Trail in North Dakota. “Roadless areas contain some of the most prized outdoor recreation opportunities in the country,” Outdoor Alliance said. “The flexible multiple-use protections that the Rule provides have benefitted the outdoor community since the Rule was implemented in 2001.”

In Utah, inventoried roadless areas encompass parts of the Central Wasatch and Uinta Mountains. Save 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. Trails such as Mineral Fork and Dog Lake in Big Cottonwood Canyon, as well as Gloria Falls in Little Cottonwood Canyon, fall within or adjacent to these zones, according to conservation maps.

Other popular destinations, including Red Pine Lake, Mount Timpanogos, and Brighton’s Lake Mary, Martha, and Catherine, are located inside designated wilderness areas, which have stronger protections that are not directly tied to the Roadless Rule.

The Outdoor Alliance stated that the rollback could undermine local recreation economies. “Rolling back the rule potentially opens up this land for development, which could affect outdoor recreation resources,” the group said. “The Roadless Rule helps to protect 58 million acres across the country from additional timber production and road development.”

The group has been active in opposition, submitting comments to the USDA and urging lawmakers to support the Roadless Area Conservation Act, which would codify the rule. “We rallied more than 30,000 individual comments in the comment period, and we sent more than 125,000 letters to Congress and decision makers about the importance of the rule,” Outdoor Alliance said.

Opponents of the rule, including timber industry representatives and some state officials, argue that the restrictions have been too rigid, preventing proactive management of wildfire risks and limiting economic opportunities in rural communities. Proponents counter that new roads often increase fire ignitions and fragment habitat.

The USDA is now preparing a Draft Environmental Impact Statement, which will launch another round of public input. The Outdoor Alliance stated that the DEIS will be “an important moment for the outdoor community to weigh in” as the future of roadless protections comes under renewed debate.

What’s the difference between roadless and wilderness?

Roadless areas

• Established under the 2001 Roadless Rule.
• Cover about 58 million acres nationwide.
• Limit road construction, logging and some development but allow many recreational uses.
• Managed by the U.S. Forest Service with some flexibility for fire suppression, access and resource projects.
• Protections can be rescinded or altered by federal rulemaking.

Wilderness areas

• Created by Congress under the 1964 Wilderness Act.
• Offer the highest level of federal land protection.
• Ban roads, motorized vehicles and mechanical transport.
• Focus on preserving natural character and solitude.
• Designations are permanent unless Congress acts to change them.

Why it matters for the Wasatch

Trails such as Mineral Fork, Dog Lake, and Gloria Falls are in inventoried roadless areas and subject to the proposed rollback.