Earthjustice Seeks Extension for Roadless Rule Rescission Comments

The nonprofit legal organization Earthjustice, representing conservation groups including the Sierra Club and the Wilderness Society, has requested that the U.S. government extend the public comment period for a proposal to rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. The proposed rescission would affect 45 million acres of national forest land across 38 states.

Earthjustice is asking the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to extend the current September 21 deadline to at least 120 days. The organization is also calling for public hearings across the country, noting that only one hearing is currently scheduled in Alaska.

The United States Department of Agriculture argued that the existing "single, national blanket" approach constrains officials from exercising the place-based discretion needed to meet evolving national priorities and changed conditions. The agency maintains that these factors require more active management approaches.

As of September 1, the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of Agriculture have not responded to the request for an extension.