by Kirk Kirkland.,
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is proposing to eliminate the 2001 National Forest Roadless Rule. Proponents of repealing the Rule argue that it is necessary to combat future wildfires in our national forests.
The wildland firefighters say that repealing the rule and allowing roads to be built in areas of the forest does not lead to more fires, not less.
Another study showed that more than 90 percent of all wildfires nationwide occurred within half a mile of a road. Indeed most fires are started by humans.
The Firefighters United for Safety, said (in part), “New roads will create more human-caused wildfire ignitions in remote steep terrain, increasing firefighter exposure to hazardous suppression efforts with low probabilities of success.”
The reason many of these roadless areas have this designation and why they are not up for logging is because these forests are too expensive or too difficult to log on steep slopes, unstable soils or less productive growing sites.
When we look at what we stand to lose if the Roadless Rule is repealed, it is considerable. The roadless areas in Pierce county are adjacent to Mt. Rainier National Park and provide important habitat to threatened and endangered species.
Many of these species rely on the old-growth forests for their habitat and roadless areas include the ancient forests that did not get logged in the 1980’s because no roads were built in these areas.
Recreational opportunities for families and visitors who contribute to our local economy are also at risk from a repeal of the Roadless Rule. In Pierce County alone, there are 22 trails comprising more than 73 miles on the Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest. These popular areas are within the Suntop, Norse Peak, Clearwater and Silver Peak Roadless areas.
The bottom line is that 45 million acres of undeveloped backcountry forestland representing a third of the territory in our national forest system should not be up for sale. These forests have only remained intact because of USFS’s nearly 25-year-old commitment to not build roads in these areas for harmful activities like major logging operations or drilling.
All we are asking for here is for the Department of Agriculture to not break the existing law.
How you can help.
If you hike in Norse Peak or skied in Crystal Mountain or go to Sun Top, I encourage you to take 10 minutes and submit a public comment at Submit a Comment on Docket FS-2025-0001.
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