The Roadless Roller Coaster - what does it mean for Idaho?
In the alphabet soup of public lands acronyms, Inventoried Roadless Areas (IRAs) are some of the most important but least known designations protecting our National Forests. In Idaho, roadless areas represent approximately 50% of our National Forests, so what happens there is of huge importance to Idahoans. Because there is a lot of confusion regarding the future of Roadless Areas, we are giving a quick update on recent events. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins recently announced the administration’s intent to rescind the 2001 National Roadless Conservation Rule. Removing protections for roadless areas nationwide would be a huge step backwards for clean water, wildlife habitat and forest restoration. Secretary Rollins clarified that the roadless rules developed by Idaho and Colorado would be left intact—for now. Idaho has its own set of management rules for Roadless Areas that we are particularly proud of (see backstory below), but we also strongly support the 2001 Roadless Rule. Because we know Idahoans who enjoy National Forests in other states and National Forests belong to everyone, we encourage everyone to comment in support of retaining the 2001 Roadless Rule. The administration is accepting public comments through September 19, 2025. Here is a Take Action our colleagues at Trout Unlimited have set up. 
So what is a Roadless Area?
Chances are, some of your favorite outings are in a roadless area. These special places are where the road ends and the backcountry adventure begins. Most roadless areas have many of the attributes of a wilderness area but are not designated as official wilderness, allowing for multiple uses. Roadless areas provide critical sources of cold, clean water for native fish and downstream communities, serve as core habitat for big game and other wildlife, and have some of the best trail networks for both motorized and non-motorized backcountry recreation. Roadless areas are also popular places for hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, backcountry skiing and more. Just leave the full-sized vehicle at the trailhead, as they are roadless for a reason.
For many decades, the Forest Service was in the road-building business. The US government subsidized timber companies to build roads to access timber, constructing hundreds of thousands of miles of roads across our National Forests. It then became clear that the US government lacked the resources to maintain this vast network of roads (the deferred maintenance cost for this road system is estimated at $4 billion). We need to take care of the roads we already have, not add more roads that the Forest Service does not need or have the resources or personnel to maintain. In addition, far too many roads were built in the wrong places, triggering landslides, choking streams with sediment, fragmenting wildlife habitat, and serving as conduits for noxious weeds. Some areas were left alone because they were simply rugged, remote, or lacking large reserves of commercial timber to justify a road—these later became recognized as Roadless Areas with their own unique values. In 2001, the Forest Service created the Roadless Area Conservation Rule which prevented additional road construction and timber harvest in the last of the roadless places across all National Forests, while still allowing other multiple uses. The 2001 Rule was applauded by ecologists and conservationists nationwide. With about 80% of United States land being within one mile of a road (even when including Alaska), roadless areas were becoming a dwindling resource.In 2006, then-Governor Jim Risch led the State of Idaho in petitioning the US Government to create its own roadless rule for the 9.3 million acres of roadless areas in Idaho. While ICL was originally skeptical, we were pleased to see the State create a collaborative effort with an incredibly diverse set of stakeholders, accompanied by public hearings in every county in Idaho with an Inventoried Roadless Area. At the end of the day, the State of Idaho came up with the Idaho Roadless Rule that created different zones or themes, allowing for different levels of forest management in different areas. Road construction and logging could be allowed around communities at risk to reduce hazardous fuels. Areas that the Forest Service had recommended for Wilderness had more safeguards than under the 2001 roadless rule. The Idaho Roadless Rule was adopted by the U.S. Forest Service in 2008.
Idaho’s Roadless Areas make up the core of the last intact forest ecosystem in the lower 48 states – where all of the native plants, fish and wildlife – from the smallest plant to the largest predator – can still be found.
National Forest Roadless Areas in Idaho are the cornerstone of the state’s world class hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation heritage.
In addition, the Idaho Roadless Rule essentially ended the Timber Wars of old. With assurances that not every last corner of our national forest would be developed and logged, many conservation groups became more comfortable working with the Forest Service and the timber industry. This break allowed representatives of both forest products industry and conservation organizations to emerge from the trenches and assess the 50% of Idaho National Forests that are outside of roadless areas. We saw that there was a real need to restore forest and watershed health in the millions of acres of already-roaded front country between Idaho communities and roadless areas. This means thinning and prescribed burning where wildfires had been suppressed, reducing hazardous fuels around communities, and restoring watersheds from past management practices. Collaboratives like the Idaho Forest Restoration Partnership, the Boise Forest Coalition, and Panhandle Forest Collaborative have taken leadership roles in crafting and supporting common-sense forest and watershed management restoration projects that protect forests, watersheds, communities and inventoried roadless areas. Focusing active management in the front country makes a lot of sense. Idaho’s roadless areas are mostly ecologically intact—they haven’t suffered to the same degree from decades of fire suppression and resulting overgrowth. While roads can improve access for firefighters, the majority of fires are human-caused and are correlated with road access, so keeping these areas roadless is actually a form of protection from wildfires. Roadless areas are usually not directly adjacent to communities, so they are generally not priorities for hazardous fuel treatments. Under the Idaho Roadless Rule, those communities that do share a border with roadless areas have the flexibility and support to treat fuels. While controversial at the time, the Idaho Roadless Rule has proven to be a resounding collaborative success story. The Idaho Roadless Rule resolves local issues and recognizes the national significance of these landscapes. We hope that both the Idaho Roadless Rule and the 2001 National Roadless Rule stay intact.
Take action by speaking up for America’s roadless public lands today!