Episode Guest
Katie Johnson, Campaigns & Engagement Manager
The Conservation Alliance
Show Notes & Links
- The Conservation Alliance Action Center – click this link to submit comments directly through TCA’s platform
- Regulations.gov – click this link to comment directly on the government platform. This link takes you directly to the issue. If you enter the website from a different link, the document number is FS-2025-0001-0001
Episode Transcript
Missy Rentz: 00:01
For nearly 25 years, the Roadless Area Conservation Rule has protected nearly 50 million acres of public land. This summer, the agriculture Secretary announced that they would rescind the rule. This would have a significant impact on our public lands. Join me as we learn about the Roadless rule and how to activate to protect our public lands. I’m your host, Missy Rentz, and this is the Parks podcast.
Missy Rentz: 00:32
Today we have Katie Johnson, who is the campaign and engagement manager for the Conservation Alliance with us, and Katie is joining me to talk about something that is impacting all of us in America right now, which is the Roadless rule. Katie, thanks for joining for this quick conversation to help educate us, and get us all moving to advocate for the Roadless Rule.
Katie: 00:54
Thanks for having me, Missy. I’m excited to chat about it.
Missy Rentz: 00:57
Okay. First, if you’re on socials or you’re into parks or outdoor spaces, you have likely heard about the roadless rule, but maybe don’t know what it is. So first, what is the Roadless rule? I.
Katie: 01:12
Yeah, it’s a great question and something that you’ve probably seen pop up in your algorithm in the last couple of months. The Roadless rule was enacted in 2001 and it was enacted to protect undeveloped forest service land from additional roads and their consequently logging, leasing, road development, other industrial development, et cetera. It’s a really popular policy that is one of the most celebrated of America’s conservation measures especially over the last 25 years. And. In for the last 25 years, it’s protected wildlife habitat, safeguarded drinking water for millions of Americans insured access to recreational landscapes among many other pieces. And another important note is that it’s generally known for its flexibility while still providing meaningful protection. So if there are existing. Roads that need to be accessed for fire or other kind of emergency services that the rule is pretty flexible in that way. So it’s already encompassing some of the things that we’re hearing in terms of why the USDA is looking to roll this back.
Missy Rentz: 02:14
And just to break it down from what I’m hearing you say, it’s a fairly simple rule of saying if you can’t build a road here, you can’t ruin the public land around it.
Katie: 02:26
Right, exactly. So it protects that kind of undisturbed and contiguous those contiguous tracks of land. And these inventory roadless areas or IRAs you’ll see on the internet span across the country. So they are in a lot of states and we think a lot about. The West Coast states that have a lot of these areas, but they’re also in North Carolina and some of our East coast states too. There are roadless areas and roadless spaces across the country. So this is really an issue and a conversation that is being had across all 50 states right now.
Missy Rentz: 02:58
Why do they wanna roll it back?
Katie: 03:01
So they’re looking to roll it back for a number of reasons. And right now we’re in the middle of a comment period that is allowing them to gather public feedback on why they’re looking or what they’re looking to roll it back for, and how they would potentially move forward with either rescinding it or adjusting it, whatever that may look like. There’s a couple different factors including potentially wildfire management. Potentially timber, other extractive industries and their involvement in this space and things like that. But as I mentioned, there is already flexibility within the existing rule that accounts for some of those things. And that’s why the Conservation Alliance is advocating to protect the roadless rule and keep it in place and keep allowing it to do what it’s continued to do for 25 years.
Missy Rentz: 03:43
To me, it feels like by rolling it back, it’s another loophole to get to developing public lands. And we’ve already fought against this and had a, a great win of over the summer, several great wins, but it’s just another way for a certain contingent to attack our public lands.
Katie: 04:03
Yeah, so the acreage that’s at risk of losing protections is over 45 million acres of forest service land across the country. And that’s a lot of acreage and that’s a lot of. Land and a lot of neighboring communities will be really impacted by that. Whether it’s a gateway community or a tribal community, or an outfitters and guides community, there’s a lot of people that are really dependent on these from both a personal and business standpoint. And so rolling back protections for 45 million acres is very sweeping and that is very concerning.
Missy Rentz: 04:37
And so they’ve opened this comment period, and this is totally new to me. It’s a set period of time where we, the public are able to comment. I.
Katie: 04:48
Yes, so we are right about in the middle of a 21 day comment period, so it opens just before Labor Day weekend and is open until September 29th. So on regulations.gov there is a number that you can actually look up or you can type in the roadless rule to find how to submit a public comment on regulations.gov. And right now we are in the middle of what is called a scoping period. So the USDA is using this comment period to understand what the public is looking. What the public input is in providing details on how this would impact their personal lives or their business lives, or whatever that may look like. So we’re in the middle of a 21 day comment period. It will close September 19th, and they’re accepting comments currently as we are chatting.
Missy Rentz: 05:31
And that’s why it’s so important, and I’m really grateful to you because I wanna get this episode out so that people can participate in the public comments. So they can go to the website and we’ll post the website or a link to the website on the parks podcast.com, and they can make comments. Are there key messages that need to be included or that you advise that people include? To make it the most impactful. Okay.
Katie: 06:03
It’s a great question and really the personal impact of these spaces on your life, whether you’re a recreator or a business owner or a community member, is going to be. The most persuasive. So how do you utilize these roadless areas? What do they mean to you? How have you spent time on them before and what would it mean if those protections were rolled back or these spaces no longer existed?
Missy Rentz: 06:27
Also, it’s about how I use it, like literally how I use it. I go hiking, I go hunting, I go fishing, I go biking. But it’s about how the land is used that benefits you. So for example, you may need to. Write and talk about how you need your rivers and streams to remain clean because of the fish that you eat.
Katie: 06:55
Right. It impacts everybody, regardless of if you have roadless areas right in your backyard or not. It might be places that you’re going to visit or you might want to take a vacation to or. Yes, a business or a community might be dependent on those resources for other things. So it is, whether it’s one or two degrees separated, you are still impacted regardless of where you live and what you like to do. And so really everybody is impacted by this and it will be a big deal
Missy Rentz: 07:23
So the action that listeners need to take right now is to go to regulations.gov and fill out the comment form.
Katie: 07:34
We can in the links provide the docket number that will lead you right to that comment so that people can be directed right there. We can also link to the conservation alliances. Grassroots comment platform as well so folks can submit a comment. We actually have a templated letter that folks can just input their information on and then it populates the details of what might be most important to comment on, and they could submit it right through that as well. So we can share that too. We’re encouraging our business network of folks too. Uplift this effort and showcase what the role this role is and why this is important to businesses from their brand, DNA perspective, but also how do these businesses get their employees and their audiences engaged and involved. And so this platform that we’re opening up for folks to be able to submit comments directly to the site is one of the ways to do that.
Missy Rentz: 08:25
That’s great and that’s open now
Katie: 08:27
So that is open during this full comment period. So open right now and available to utilize as well.
Missy Rentz: 08:33
Okay, so then after the comment period, should we still be writing and calling our representatives, or are those things valid? Should we do that? Should we be holding off? What is the next step?
Katie: 08:46
It’s a great question. So what we’re going to focus on as the comment period closes from the Conservation Alliance perspective is really. Highlighting and storytelling from these different inventoried roadless areas across the country. So how do outdoor athletes and creators and businesses benefit and or utilize these spaces? And why are they meaningful to these folks? And why would it be critical for these to stay protected versus having these protections rolled back and what the implications could be from that? So we’re really focusing on super powerful storytelling, super powerful. Highlights of what these spaces have meant and what they’ll continue to mean when they stay protected.
Missy Rentz: 09:27
Amazing. So follow the Conservation Alliance to hear those stories. The Parks podcast will post links to your page so that people can send letters during this open comment period. But do take time in the next 10 days to send that letter and to make sure that your voice is heard. To help protect our public lands and expressing our dissatisfaction with rolling back roadless rules.
Katie: 09:58
Yeah. And showcasing, why these landscapes are important to you and what they’ve meant to you and what they’ll continue to mean to you. It’s critical right now, more than ever.
Missy Rentz: 10:07
Katie, I’m really grateful to you. Thank you for helping to educate me and our listeners during this really crazy time, and I hope that maybe during this process that we’re going through, there may be time for us to have another conversation to continue educating everybody on what is going on.
Katie: 10:27
Yeah, it’s a very nuanced and very specific conversation, and we’re always happy to highlight more details. I think one more note that’s important to share is that this is the first step of a multi-step process, submitting our comments is a great first step, but we can’t then be caught on our heels for the next phase. So whether that’s storytelling or waiting for the next comment period, which we’re expecting in about six or so months this will be a multi-step process. And so continuing to stay engaged, continuing to stay informed and updated on what’s going on will be critical for this especially. So
Missy Rentz: 10:59
Perfect. Thank you for talking to us today. I really appreciate it.
Katie: 11:04
Yeah, thanks for having me.
Missy Rentz: 11:06
That’s it for this quick episode of the Parks podcast. Until next time, we’ll see you in the parks. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please be sure to like and share on your favorite podcast platform. Music for The Parks Podcast is performed and produced by Porter Hardy. For more information, please follow us on Instagram at The Parks Podcast. Or visit our website at theparkspodcast.com.