Two hundred nature lovers gathered at The Mule at Devil’s Foot Beverage in Asheville on April 15 with one goal: to stop the federal government from rescinding the “roadless rule” that keeps roads from being built in national forests.
In 2001, the U.S. Department of Agriculture enacted the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which restricts road-building and timber harvesting in national forests. The restriction of road-building effectively also bans mining and oil and gas development.
In Western North Carolina, Pisgah and Nantahala national forests contain nearly 152,000 acres of roadless areas, including Big Ivy and Craggy Mountain.
Collecting public comments
In June 2025, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced the “roadless rule” would be rescinded, impacting 58.5 million acres in 39 states and Puerto Rico. This spring, the USDA is expected to release a study about the potential environmental impact of rescinding the rule. Publication of the environmental impact report will be announced on the Forest Service website, the Federal Register and regulations.gov…