Roadless Area Conservation
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Roadless Area conservation is designed to prevent the construction of roads on areas of US Forest Service and Grasslands in the United States. Roadless areas offer protection to many of the resources we hold dear:
Wildlife: Roadless areas offer protection for fish and other wildlife, including more than 1,600 threatened, endangered, or sensitive plant and animal species
Habitat: Roadless areas offer wildlife the unfragmented habitat that they need in order to thrive.
Water: Roadless areas protect water and watersheds from pollution—both from erosion and from the building, maintenance, and use of roads.
Refuge: Roadless areas offer quiet, pristine landscapes that allow visitors to experience the world of nature, unmarred by the noise and bustle of civilization.
Alpine Tundra: Tundra areas, both alpine and arctic, are particularly susceptible to damage. Some areas along the Trail Ridge Road, in Rocky Mountain National Park, have sustained damage from people walking off-trail. Damaged areas can take centuries to recover.
In 2001, after three years of analysis, the Forest Service adopted the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which protected 58.5 million acres of national forest nationwide from most logging and road construction. When George Bush entered office, he modified this rule to allow states to pass their own roadless area designation rules. Colorado’s roadless area protections can be found here. www.dnr.state.co.us/roadlessrule
SLVEC, along with other environmental organizations such as the Colorado Environmental Coalition and the Southern Rockies Conservation Alliance, has worked diligently to help preserve roadless areas in the Rio Grande National Forest. We were instrumental in taking photos and obtaining data for several wilderness and roadless areas in the forest. Pictures and other information from the Roadless Inventory Project can be seen at Colorado’s Forest Legacy.
SLVEC continues to be involved in planning on the Rio Grande National Forest, and will continue to work to protect these important landscapes.
