FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug. 18, 2026
Contact:
Media@backcountryhunters.org
Backcountry Hunters & Anglers Condemns USDA’s Intent to Rescind Roadless Rule
Rescission would strip protections from tens of millions of acres of the nation's best hunting and fishing habitat.
MISSOULA, Mont. — Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA) today condemned the U.S. Forest Service's (USFS) announcement indicating their intent to file a proposed rule to rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. The nonprofit public lands advocacy group vehemently opposes the direct threat rescission would pose to some of the country's most productive hunting and fishing habitat and to the taxpayers and rural communities who would bear the cost.
"This isn't a bureaucratic footnote — it's the wholesale elimination of protections for the backcountry habitat hunters, anglers, wildlife, and rural communities depend on," said Ryan Callaghan, President and CEO of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. "The Roadless Rule works. It provides quality habitat for big game, keeps trout streams cold and clean, and keeps taxpayers from footing the bill for thousands of miles of new roads that the Forest Service can't afford to maintain."
What’s Next
Following U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins’ announcement, additional information – including the Draft Environmental Impact Statement of proposed alternatives – is slated to be uploaded to the Federal Register as soon as tomorrow, Aug. 19. This will be followed by a public comment period that is expected to open on Aug. 20 and end at midnight on Sept. 21.
About the Roadless Rule
Since 2001, the Roadless Rule has conserved more than 44 million acres of backcountry across 37 states (not including Idaho and Colorado which have their own Roadless Rules) — areas that produce higher hunter success rates, longer hunting seasons, and some of the best trout fisheries in the country, fed by cold, clean headwaters.
The USFS currently manages more than 370,000 miles of roads — over eight times the length of the entire U.S. Interstate System — with a maintenance backlog that has exceeded $10 billion. BHA questions the prudence of rescinding the Roadless Rule when doing so would add new roads and new long-term costs to an agency already struggling to maintain the extensive road system under its management.
"Roadless areas pay for themselves through hunting, fishing and recreation dollars flowing into gateway communities every year," said Devin O’Dea, Western Conservation and Policy Manager for Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. "This isn't fixing a broken system — it's bulldozing one that already works, putting productive fish and wildlife habitat at risk while undermining the outdoor recreation economies they support.”
Make Your Voice Heard
BHA — which supports science-based, locally informed forest management — recognizes that some elements of the Roadless Rule may merit review. However, the grassroots group vehemently affirms that any changes should strengthen — not eliminate — the Rule's core protections for fish and wildlife habitat, water quality, and backcountry access.
BHA urges hunters, anglers and public land users to make their voices heard by submitting public comments before the Sept. 21 deadline. In the coming days, BHA will provide resources to help its members and supporters weigh in on a decision that could shape the future of nearly 45 million acres of national forest lands.
Backcountry Hunters & Anglers seeks to ensure North America’s outdoor heritage of hunting and fishing in a natural setting through education and work on behalf of wild public lands, waters, and wildlife. To learn more about issues important to BHA’s membership, visit https://www.backcountryhunters.org/get-involved/issues.
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