Tennessee still has places where mountain streams run clear, wildlife can move through unbroken habitat and people can walk beyond the reach of roads and development. Nearly 66,000 acres of those public lands could now lose a major federal protection.
TAKE ACTION—IT TAKES FEWER THAN FIVE MINUTES. I was surprised by how easy it was.
Detailed explanation:
The U.S. Forest Service is proposing to repeal the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. Tennessee has nearly 85,000 roadless acres in the Cherokee National Forest, and approximately 78%—about 66,000 acres—could lose this protection.
These roadless lands help protect the headwaters of the Tellico River, wildlife habitat, trout streams and some of East Tennessee’s most remote backcountry.
Repeal would not immediately authorize logging everywhere, and some areas have overlapping protections. But it would remove an important safeguard against new roads and the logging and development that roads can enable.
Once a permanent road cuts into an intact forest, the resulting fragmentation, erosion and loss of wild character cannot simply be undone. This decision could shape Tennessee’s mountains, clean-water sources, wildlife habitat and outdoor recreation for generations.
Public comments must be received by midnight September 21.
This is not merely a petition. Comments are submitted directly into the official federal rulemaking record. The Forest Service must consider substantive comments and address significant concerns in its final analysis. Those comments can influence the decision, strengthen the public record and help hold the agency accountable.
It takes only a few minutes:
Submit an official comment here:
https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/FS-2025-0001-223869
You can adapt this:
I live in Tennessee and oppose rescinding the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. Please select the No Action alternative and retain the rule. Tennessee’s roadless areas protect clean water, wildlife habitat, intact forests, recreation and local economies. The rule already allows necessary work involving wildfire, disease and public safety. Removing these protections could increase road construction, habitat fragmentation, erosion and long-term maintenance costs. Please retain the Roadless Rule.
Add one sentence about a Tennessee forest, trail, river or community you personally value. You do not need to be an expert—just be specific and explain why protecting these places matters to you. MAKE IT PERSONAL AND UNIQUE SO IT GETS NOTICED.
Wild public land is far easier to protect than to put back together. Please comment before September 21.
Docket: FS-2025-0001 / RIN 0596-AD66