Colorado's Roadless Backcountry at Risk

The Administration is currently moving forward with a rule-making that would remove the protections of the 2001 roadless rule and replace it with one that offers less protection for these landscapes. At stake are some of Colorado's most scenic backcountry forests. If adopted, the new rule would dramatically increase logging and road-building in 4.4 million acres of Colorado's best backcountry, while giving the green light to roughly 100 new oil and gas drilling projects, impacting valuable fish and wildlife habitat and outdoor recreation opportunities.

Update: In a letter from the Colorado Department of Natural Resources to the U.S. Forest Service, the Ritter administration is asking for additional time to work on final revisions to the Colorado Roadless rule, which may carry the rulemaking into the Obama administration.

• Read a statement from Jane Danowitz, U.S. public lands program director at Pew Environment Group
• View the Administration's proposed rule for Colorado
• More about Colorado's roadless areas

More Forest News

Supported by millions of Americans, the Roadless Area Conservation Rule protects more than 58 million acres of America's wild forests for generations to enjoy.

Learn more about the importance of roadless areas across America

  • The Roadless Rule
  • The benefits of roadless areas
  • Attempts to undermine the rule

They're OUR National Forests. Will the logging and mining interests get the last piece of the pie?

(Click here to see a full-sized pie chart showing how much of our national forests are in limbo.)

Conservation Groups: New Administration, New Hope for IL Public Lands
Public News Service
December 31, 2008

Jane Danowitz: Reserve gift of public lands for all
Spokane Spokesman-Review
December 30, 2008

Knotty issues at Interior put Salazar on tightrope
The Denver Post
December 17, 2008

Not so dead on arrival
High Country News
December 15, 2008

Ritter slows down Bush roadless rule; conservationists cheer
The Colorado Independent
December 10, 2008

More Media Coverage > > >