New bill piggybacks off unpopular push to repeal Roadless Rule
Uncompahgre National Forest, CO
Mason Cummings, The Wilderness Society
Public still overwhelmingly opposes repealing protections for 45 million acres of public forests
WASHINGTON D.C. (May 21, 2026)—A new bill, introduced by Representative Hageman (R-WY), would strip vital protections from 45 million acres of backcountry public forests by nullifying the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule.
H.R. 7695 is part of a package of bills considered during this week's hearing of the House of Representatives’ Natural Resources Subcommittee on Federal Lands.
This legislative attack comes just ahead of the next phase in repealing the Roadless Rule at the administrative level. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement to repeal the Roadless Rule, which would open a final public comment period, could come any day.
In response to the House subcommittee hearing, Senior Government Relations Representative for The Wilderness Society Michelle Gullett said:
“Repealing the Roadless Area Conservation Rule is out of step with what Americans value: protected wildlife habitat, healthy air and water sources, and the freedom to enjoy intact, outdoor places with their families. The Roadless Rule is popular because it keeps these values in place. Lawmakers should pay attention and reject any proposal to strip vital protections for public forests across the country.”
###
Like the administration’s justification for repealing the Roadless Rule, proponents of H.R. 7695 argue that eliminating the Roadless Rule is essential for wildfire mitigation efforts. This is false.
- The Roadless Rule allows for necessary forest management to address fires, including allowing for thinning of roadless forests to reduce unnaturally high fuel loads and wildfire risk.
- Research by the U.S. Forest Service’s Rocky Mountain Research Station has shown that forest managers have carried out substantial fuel treatment and fire-risk reduction work in roadless areas covered by the Roadless Rule.
- In April, nearly 120 firefighters attested to the Roadless Rule’s importance in a letter to Members of Congress, outlining the Roadless Rule’s enduring value for sustainable and safe wildland fire fighting across the country.
- A study released in January found that wildfire ignition risk is much higher in roaded areas than in those without roads, due to increased mechanized human activity. Invalidating the Roadless Rule will not prevent wildfires.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions. We can connect you with fire experts, wildland firefighters, forest ecologists and policy experts to support your reporting.
Contact: Emily Denny, Senior Communications Manager edenny@tws.org
