Michigan conservation leaders urge U.S. Department of Agriculture to keep Roadless Rule in place
More than 20 Michigan organizations warn rollback would endanger millions of acres of roadless forests, wildlife habitat, public lands
DETROIT, MI – A broad coalition of Michigan conservation, outdoor recreation, clean water, environmental justice, business, and community organizations today called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to reject the Trump administration’s proposed rollback of the 2001 Roadless Rule, which protects some of the last remaining roadless forests and pristine public lands in Michigan and across the country.
In a letter to Secretary Rollins, the coalition warned that rescinding the Roadless Rule could jeopardize approximately 16,000 acres of roadless forestland across Michigan’s three National Forests. While Michigan’s Roadless Areas make up roughly 0.5% of the state’s National Forest land, these forests provide outsized benefits for clean water, wildlife, climate resilience, and outdoor recreation.
“Michigan’s roadless forests provide enormous value to our state, protecting clean water, wildlife habitat, outdoor recreation, and some of our last remaining mature and old-growth forests,” said Bentley Johnson, federal government affairs director for the Michigan League of Conservation Voters. “Rolling back the Roadless Rule would put these special places at risk for the sake of expanding industrial activity, while doing little to meaningfully increase Michigan’s harvestable forestland. We’re urging Secretary Rollins to keep the Roadless Rule in place and protect these forests for generations of Michiganders to come.”
“Our Roadless Areas offer some of the best outdoor recreation in the state,” said Calvin Floyd, conservation advocate with Environment Michigan. “Michigan’s roadless forestland provides critical wildlife habitats and filters headwater streams that flow into the Great Lakes. If we lose our roadless forests, we lose part of our heritage as Michiganders.”
“Michigan’s roadless areas are some of the best hunting and fishing we have left,” said Brandon Yuchasz, board chair of Michigan Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. “Rescinding the Roadless Rule trades that away for roads the Forest Service can’t afford to maintain.”
The letter was signed by Environment Michigan, Michigan Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Michigan Clinicians for Climate Action, Michigan League of Conservation Voters, Michigan Environmental Council, Flow Water Advocates, League of Michigan Bicyclists, Huron River Watershed Council, Northern Michigan Environmental Action Council, Sierra Club Michigan Chapter, Clean Water Action Michigan, Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition, National Parks Conservation Association, Scenic Michigan, Upper Peninsula Land Conservancy, Michigan Interfaith Power & Light, Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice, Cherry Republic, Capital Area Friends of the Environment, Attorneys for Animals, Michigan Sustainable Business Forum, Original United Citizens of Southwest Detroit, Michiganders for a Just Farming System, Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities, and Michigan Climate Action Network.
Read the full coalition letter here.
The Roadless Area Conservation Rule was adopted by the U.S. Forest Service in 2001 and protects undeveloped forestlands from most new road construction. Our nation’s roadless areas provide critical wildlife habitat, create unique backcountry recreation opportunities, and help keep our sources of drinking water clean. The rule currently applies to roughly 45 million acres of National Forest System land, including 16,000 acres across Michigan’s three national forests. In 2025, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the Trump administration’s intent to rescind the rule, and the proposal is currently undergoing federal environmental review and public comment, with the comment period extended through Oct. 6, 2026. Any final decision to rescind the rule would be made by the U.S. Department of Agriculture through the federal rulemaking process.
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