CWC Opposes Rescission of 2001 Roadless Rule

At a board meeting on September 25th, 2025, the Central Wasatch Commission (CWC) unanimously passed a resolution in opposition to the rescission of the 2001 Roadless Rule because the rollback would remove a critical layer of protection from around 28,500 acres of Forest Service land within the CWC’s geographic focus area in the Central Wasatch Mountains.

On June 23, 2025, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture intends to rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. The Roadless Rule currently protects almost 45-million acres of Forest Service land from new roads, logging, mining, OHV activity, ski resort operations, among other activities that accompany them, and it prohibits new road construction and timber harvest on nearly 60% of the National Forest System lands in Utah. Ski operations that existed before the Roadless Rule—such as those in the Cottonwood Canyons—are exempt from the Roadless Rule and will continue to be if it remains in effect. The rescission of the Roadless Rule would open 28,500 acres of U.S. Forest System land parcels in the Central Wasatch in Big Cottonwood, Little Cottonwood, Mill Creek, and Parleys Canyons that are proposed for inclusion in the Central Wasatch National Conservation and Recreation Area (CWNCRA) designation to unfettered road development and timber harvest.

A 21-day comment period was opened, and 99% of the more than 624,000 responses expressed opposition to the proposed rescission of the 2001 Roadless Rule. While the CWC’s resolution comes a few days after the comment period closed, it aligns with sentiments from many others around the country who wrote in expressing concern over the rollback. In particular, the rescission is not necessary for fire mitigation and management in the Central Wasatch—these activities are currently occurring effectively on Roadless parcels. The rescission could also upend the collaborative, overarching management priority of protecting the water supply for current and future generations of Utahns.

“In the Central Wasatch alone, there are 28,500 acres of Forest Service land that are currently protected from new road construction, mineral extraction, and timber harvest under the 2001 Roadless Rule. If removed, our vital watersheds and cherished places with premier hiking and mountain biking trails and world class backcountry skiing would lose a critical layer of protection,” said Jeff Silvestrini, City of Millcreek Mayor and CWC Board Chair. “The Central Wasatch Mountain Range is not a huge area and accommodates millions of people each year—losing these protections could pose new challenges to accessibility and the overall mountain experience. The Roadless designation hasn’t impeded fuels management and mitigation at all—and in fact fires often start along roads. Because this area could continue to face threats like this proposed rollback, The Central Wasatch National Conservation and Recreation Area Act (CWNCRA) is our best way forward. The CWNCRA could shield those 28,500 acres of Forest Service land from future threats.”

The CWNCRA is a locally driven, consensus-based bill aimed at protecting the sources of our drinking water, preserving recreational opportunities for the future, and ensuring enjoyment of the Central Wasatch Mountains in the face of pressures from a growing population. The CWNCRA, if passed, would ensure roadless protection for the 28,500 acres of land in the Central Wasatch that are vulnerable to development because of the Roadless Rule recission—now and in the future. For these reasons, the local leaders who comprise the CWC strongly oppose the rescission of the 2001 Roadless Rule and implore the Utah Federal Delegation to support the introduction and passage of the CWNCRA.

Reference

Article and images from: Central Wasatch Commission. CWC opposes rescission of 2001 Roadless Rule [newsletter via email]. October 7, 2025.