Maintain roadless national forestlands

The proposed rescission of the Roadless Rule, which would impact more than 600,000 acres of forestlands in the Shoshone National Forest, is concerning not because we do not recognize the very real risk of mis-managed forests, but because it feels as if it is yet another attempt to subvert the will of the people and gradually pull back access to our public lands.

Earlier this year, the public – including many local residents – made their opinions on public lands known by rebuking a proposed measure that would have allowed for the sale of our lands to private individuals and entities. Now, we have a proposed rescission that was published ahead of a major holiday weekend with a short comment period of just 21 days. The rollback would allow not just the construction of new roads in an under-funded forest system already burdened by thousands of miles of unmaintained roadways but also permit private entities to lease our lands for extractive purposes.

The Roadless Rule is not a perfect piece of legislation. The government has stated, repeatedly, that it is interested in greater fire management and suppression tactics, which we agree with wholeheartedly. Over the last 25 years, the wildfire season has shifted, and drought has worsened across the West, meaning more fires are burning hotter and longer with no end to the traditional fire season on the horizon. And while the majority of wildfires are caused by humans, a shifting climate also means we experience more lightning strikes, which have caused a relatively small but devastating number of fires in recent years, including the recent Red Canyon and Sleeper Creek fires in the Big Horn Basin. This law was not written with a shifting climate or the present dangers we’re contending with in mind.

However, we do not believe that the government is approaching the rescission with this in mind, either. The law already permits forest managers to take active measures in managing and suppressing fires. In Wyoming, the U.S. Forest Service estimates that these active measures and the ongoing collaboration among federal, state and local agencies help to suppress over 75% of all Wyoming fires.

What’s more, the administration has shown little to no interest in accepting or bettering our ability to manage climatic shifts and the devastating consequences of ever-worsening natural disasters. Steep budget cuts to the federal agencies that manage not just our public lands but also fight wildland fires, monitor weather and provide disaster relief only underscore this. Were it truly acting in good faith, the government would balance its drive to support extractive industries with a desire to lead in alternatives like wind, geothermal, solar and nuclear energies to maintain economic supremacy long-term.

All of that aside, we remain vexed by the government’s desire to rescind the Rule with limited input from the public. The statements made by Secretary Brooke Rollins and the USDA, when coupled with the fly-by-night publication of this rescission, lead us to believe that the determination has been made and the comment period is but a mere formality. While the original Roadless law was crafted with high public support and Americans still love their public lands, we’ve been left with just 21 days to consider the rollback and all of the potential ramifications.

When the dust settles, we might still have access to our lands, but in what condition? And at what cost? As Corey Fisher, the national public policy manager of Trout Unlimited, said in our article last week: One change may not amount to much, but many changes – made without collaborative input from experts and the public – can amount to a death by a thousand cuts.

Victoria O’Brien

Cody Enterprise