By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org
CONCORD – The entire New Hampshire congressional delegation sent a letter of concern to the Trump Administration regarding a proposal to rescind the 2001 Roadless Conservation Rule which could impact more than 235,000 acres of the White Mountain National Forest.
The Sierra Club Chapter of New Hampshire is among the environmental groups cheering the delegation’s move to extend the time frame for comment, as it sees the Trump Administration’s effort would pave the way for logging near environmentally sensitive blocks of land including Liberty Springs, Falling Waters, Greenleaf, Nancy Pond, Signal Ridge, sections of the Appalachian Trail and many other popular hiking trails.
Much of that “roadless” land is around but outside of the Congressionally-designated Wilderness Areas where no machinery can be used and no campfires are allowed.
These areas total 148,000 acres and include the 35,800-acre Sandwich Range Wilderness, the 45,000-acre Pemigewasset Wilderness, the 29,000-acre Presidential Range-Dry River Wilderness, the 5,552-acre Great Gulf Wilderness, the 23,700-acre Wild River Wilderness all in New Hampshire and the 14,000-acre Caribou-Speckled Mountain Wilderness, which is in Maine.
The Dec. 15 letter to the Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins is signed by all four of the state’s representatives in Washington. This includes U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan and U.S. Reps. Chris Pappas and Maggie Goodlander, all Democrats.
The rule (0596-AD66) applies to nearly 45 million acres of national forests including those on the 800,000 acre White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire and parts of Western Maine.
Shaheen told InDepthNH.org Tuesday that as the second most forested state in the nation, New Hampshire’s forests are integral to the Granite State identity and economy.
“The White Mountain National Forest has long exemplified balanced, multiple-use management thanks to involvement from a broad range of stakeholders and substantial public input. Too often we’ve seen the Trump Administration destroy treasured spaces and institutions with complete disregard for public opinion.
“I’m calling on the Trump Administration to give Granite Staters more opportunity to share their perspective and to preserve outdoor spaces in the Granite State and across the U.S.,” she said.
The letter signed by the four says that “we are concerned about the short timeline that you have outlined, with just 21 days for the initial public comment period. We urge you to provide greater opportunity for those who care about our national forests to have meaningful involvement, including by holding public meetings in New Hampshire.
“Granite Staters have a long history of working toward sustainable timber harvesting and conservation of large landscapes…The White Mountain National Forest has exemplified balanced, multiple use management since before the Roadless Rule was proposed, and that has continued since its enactment thanks to the guidance of a Forest Management Plan crafted with substantial public input from a broad range of stakeholders.”
The letter also points to the 146,000-acre Connecticut Lakes Headwaters Tract by stating that “similarly, the largest tract of private forestland in New Hampshire has been managed under a conservation easement for more than 20 years, ensuring that the landscape continues as a largely undeveloped,
productive working forest that provides public access for recreation and conserves ecologically
sensitive areas.”
The White Mountain National Forest encompasses 17 percent of the forested land in New Hampshire, the elected leaders note that it offers “key timber resources, world-class outdoor recreation, invaluable watershed protection and robust wildlife habitat.”
The change could impact the $3.9 billion outdoor recreation economy of the state, they warn, in addition to impacting the $1.4 billion forest products industry and the “incalculable benefits of wildlife habitat and watershed health all depend upon sound management of the national forest.”
“Our national forests belong to all Americans, and many New Hampshire residents enjoy hiking, hunting, fishing, skiing and other activities on national forests in other states. We have heard from hundreds of constituents expressing their care and concern for the White Mountain National Forest, and we want to ensure their voices are counted in a meaningful way,” the letter says.
It also touches upon the Trump Administration’s impacts on the federal jobs lost.
“Finally, we note that the health of our forests and the ability to manage timber, recreation, water quality and wildlife depend on people to do the work. With more than 4,000 U.S. Forest Service staff accepting deferred resignations, an unspecified number of improper firings and a disruptive reorganization plan expected to push out additional employees, we worry about the Forest Service’s ability to meet its statutory obligation to manage our national forests for multiple use and sustained yield to benefit current and future generations.
“Accordingly, we urge you to restore Forest Service staffing to appropriate levels and take steps to appropriately engage with the public on rulemaking regarding the Roadless Area Conservation Rule.”
Sierra Club of New Hampshire Chapter issued a statement about the effort saying, “the real reason a rollback of the Roadless Rule is being proposed is to re-open the National Forest to logging and other industrial development. It will end protection for 235,000 acres of wild forest in White Mountain
National Forest and allow industrial logging operations.”
Catherine Corkery, Sierra Club chapter director said: “The White Mountain National Forest attracts over 6 million visitors from across the state, New England, the nation and the globe seeking recreation and exposure to the outdoors. The popular forest gets more visitors than Yosemite National Park, according to a recent survey. These visitors, like Granite Staters, value the forests as forests, a refuge, a place to recreate and to return to year after year. The Roadless Rule is critical for protecting the six Wilderness Areas and the estimated 2,000 acres of mature forests in the National Forest. NH Sierra Club applauds Senator Shaheen and the NH Members of Congress for their commitment to protect the public lands, the recreational-centered local economy and the rational approach to govern our democracy.”
“Most of the designated roadless areas are actually buffers between the wilderness areas and the rest of the forest. Industrial logging in those areas will make wilderness areas become small islands in what is now a larger contiguous national forest,” a Sierra Club statement states.
The non-profit environmental group said important to consider is watershed protection for 54,000 people served by protected areas overlapping the forest. The organization also points out that the roadless rule is very popular.
In 2001, 95 percent of the 1.6 million comments collected by the Forest Service nationally were in support of the roadless rule. In that year, the Forest Service stated the Roadless Rule would support forest values and characteristics; save money; lift the importance of watershed protection; ease federal direction versus local decision-making; and improve ecosystem health. These reasons are just as valid today.
On June 23, Secretary Rollins announced the USDA would rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. It largely prohibits road construction, road reconstruction, and timber harvesting in inventoried roadless areas on 44.7 million acres of National Forest System lands.
On August 29, the Forest Service issued a formal Notice of Intent to prepare an environmental impact statement and rulemaking to rescind the 2001 Roadless Rule. That Notice began a brief comment period that ended on September 19th.
An EIS is required under the National Environmental Policy Act for a proposed action that would result in significant environmental effects.
Both NEPA and the Administrative Procedures Act require opportunities for public comment. Currently, the Forest Service is reviewing comments and working toward completing the draft environmental impact statement and proposed rule, which are expected by March, 2026.
That release will be accompanied by a public comment period. The final rule, EIS and record of decision are expected to be released in late 2026, according to the Forest Service.
Those who would like to write the Administration can do so by sending a letter to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins at 1400 Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250.