Forest Service Seeks to Redefine What Are Roadless Areas on Pacific Northwest National Forests
There are four million acres of inventoried roadless lands in the 19 national forests of Oregon and Washington. How much of this land should be made part of the National Wilderness Preservation System and thus be protected forever?
The first step in answering that question is a U.S. Forest Service inventory, and the first three Washington forests being reviewed are the Wenatchee, Colville, and Okanogan. Unfortunately, the Forest Service has proposed reducing the acreage considered roadless—and thus eligible for wilderness designation—by 150,000 acres, or 12 percent. As the lead organizer of the Forest Planning Task Force, The Wilderness Society is working closely with the agency and our allies to maintain protection for these areas.
The Forest Service also wants to reduce roadless totals in eastern Oregon’s Malheur, Wallowa-Whitman, and Umatilla National Forests. We are teaming up with the Oregon Natural Resources Council, Hells Canyon Preservation Council, Grant County Conservationists, and others to fend off this effort.
The Pacific Northwest’s roadless areas serve as important sources of clean drinking water for downstream towns and cities, and they provide important fish and wildlife habitat. In addition, they are increasingly valuable locales for boating, camping, hiking, and other recreational pursuits. The outcome of the inventories in these six forests may set a precedent for the rest of the region.
For More Information
- Michelle Ackermann, Director, Pacific Northwest Regional Office, The Wilderness Society, 206-624-6430
