Conservationists from across Western North Carolina, joined by environmental groups and local leaders, gathered in Boone Monday evening for a rally and a film screening at I.G. Greer Auditorium. The event responded to the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) announcement last month that plans to rescind the Roadless Rule were moving forward. This decision, which could allow wildfire managers and land developers greater access into national forests, has sparked discontent among conservation advocates.
The rally served as a forum for groups including MountainTrue, App State Conservation Corps, and the North Carolina Sierra Club to discuss the potential end of the Roadless Rule. Speakers urged the community to contact their representatives and the U.S. Forest Service to make their voices heard. Organizers offered free “Wild about Roadless Forests” T-shirts to attendees who submitted substantive comments to the Forest Service and politicians, providing an outline to ensure comments would be impactful. A tie-dye station for the shirts was also available, alongside posters detailing wilderness areas in Southern Appalachia, as well as Croatan and Uwharrie national forests, all of which would be open for development if the federal government ended the Roadless Rule.
Central to the evening was the screening of “Why We Need the Roadless Rule,” a film by Aidin Robbins and Alex Haraus. Robbins, who has lived in Asheville for most of his life, made Pisgah and Nantahala national forests focal points of his film, though it aims for a national audience. The film explores the history of the Roadless Rule and the risks associated with losing protections for national forests.
The Roadless Rule was first adopted by the Forest Service in 2001, but the practice of halting road construction in wilderness areas dates back to the early 20th century. Conservationist Aldo Leopold, in a 1921 essay, argued for keeping these areas “devoid of roads, artificial trails, and other works of man.” While the Forest Service maintained a loose road network throughout the 20th century, it fell into disrepair by the 1980s, prompting conservationists to push for the Roadless Rule. The rule, however, was never codified, leaving it vulnerable as the Forest Service began rescinding it in 2025. MountainTrue noted that the initial process in 2001 involved hundreds of meetings and 1.6 million comments, with 95% of people in favor, contrasting with the current lack of public meetings.
During the event, several leaders addressed the audience. MaryAnn Sanders, the Sierra Club’s Charlotte organizer, and Donovan Green, MountainTrue’s Resilient Forests organizer, spoke on the issue. Boone Mayor Dalton George urged the audience to submit comments, highlighting bipartisan public support for the Roadless Rule and a proposed bill to codify it. Mayor George stressed the importance of continued public engagement, advising attendees to "continue to make noise."
The Forest Service's reported reasoning for rescinding the Roadless Rule is wildfire prevention, arguing that the rule hinders responsible land managers by stopping access roads in wilderness areas. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins stated, “Our forests can’t afford another decade of inaction. Across the country, we’ve watched preventable conditions – overgrown stands, insect outbreaks and disease – turn healthy landscapes into tinderboxes.”
However, Mayor George countered this argument, suggesting wildfire prevention is an excuse for development. He pointed out that humans are the leading cause of wildfires and that opening up roads increases human access. According to the National Park Service, humans cause nearly 85% of wildfires. Mayor George also clarified that the Roadless Rule, as written, allows wildfire teams access, asserting that supporting the rule aligns with efforts against wildfires.
Brandon Wise, the Town of Boone’s Deputy Director of Planning and Inspections, highlighted the ecological risks of road construction, specifically habitat fragmentation. Wise explained that while not every road cut is inherently bad, a fragmented forest is less healthy. He warned that losing these wild spaces would be detrimental and would place a greater responsibility on local governments and communities to conserve their forests if the Roadless Rule were to be rescinded.
Filmmaker Aidin Robbins further emphasized the unique ecological value of Southern Appalachia’s forests, describing them as having “dense rainforests, we have giant salamanders, we have big old growth trees. We have some of the most vibrant ecosystems on the entire planet, and the Roadless Rule helps protect that.” The film concluded by noting the region's history of clear-cutting in the early 20th century and the subsequent rebound of its forests, suggesting that the Roadless Rule’s continuation could allow future generations to experience old-growth canopies.
