Roadless Areas
On June 23, 2025, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins announced the intent to rescind the 2001 Roadless Rule. That rule established prohibitions on road construction, road reconstruction and timber harvests on 58.5 million acres of national forests and grasslands.
What is next?
This action will require preparation of environmental analysis, compliance with the Endangered Species Act, tribal consultation and coordination with affected states.
The rulemaking process is a three-stage effort including the advanced notice of proposed rulemaking, notice of proposed rulemaking, and the final rule. More details about these steps are available at Regulations.gov.
More information will be released as the rescission process gets underway.
The 2001 Roadless Rule establishes prohibitions on road construction, road reconstruction, and timber harvesting on 58.5 million acres of inventoried roadless areas on National Forest System lands. The intent of the 2001 Roadless Rule is to provide lasting protection for inventoried roadless areas within the National Forest System in the context of multiple-use management.
Maps
8 X 11 Map (PDF, 1.13 MB)
11 X 17 Map (PDF, 1.89 MB)
11 X 17 Map, Detailed (PDF, 6.23 MB)
Maps Created for and/or Used for Roadless Area Conservation Project as of 11/13/2001
*Two states, Idaho and Colorado, have adopted state roadless area rules, and the roadless area boundaries adopted in those rules supersede the boundaries from the 2001 Roadless Rule in those states. Alaska roadless area rules are pending.
Map Service for Inventoried Roadless Areas designated by the 2001 Roadless Rule
Map Service for Inventoried Roadless Areas designated by the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, 2008 Idaho Roadless Rule, and 2012 Colorado Roadless Rule
Metadata
Metadata for National Forest System Inventoried Roadless Areas boundary coverage for the lower 48 in HTML format
Metadata for National Forest System boundary coverage for the lower 48 in HTML Format
Metadata for National Forest System boundary coverage for Alaska in HTML Format
Metadata for the Outer National Forest System Administrative boundary coverage for Alaska in HTML Format
Export Files
Inventoried Roadless Area data in XML format. Updated 10/03/2023
Zipped Shapefile containing Inventoried Roadless Area data. Updated 10/03/2023
Zipped Arc/INFO export file (ZIP, 456 KB) containing Outer National Forest System Administrative Boundary data for Alaska
Zipped Arc/INFO export file (ZIP, 16 MB) containing National Forest System Boundary data for the Alaska
Zipped Arc/INFO export file (ZIP, 15 MB) containing National Forest System Boundary data for the the lower 48 states
Ambient Population Distribution with Inventoried Roadless Areas within National Forest System Lands (PDF, 1.8 MB)
Relative Risk from Catastrophic Fire National Map (PDF, 1.9 MB)
Ambient Population Distribution within 1 and 5 Miles of Inventoried Roadless Areas on National Forest System Lands (PDF, 2.6 MB)
Roadless Rule Litigation
September 20, 2017 - DC Court Favorable Ruling State of Alaska v. USDA (PDF, 7.64 MB)
May 16, 2012 - Colorado Mining Association Petition to the Supreme Court (PDF, 158 KB)
May 15, 2012 - Wyoming Petition to the Supreme Court (PDF, 135 KB)
March 1, 2012 - Wyoming District Court Order Lifting Injunction (PDF, 49 KB)
March 1, 2012 - Wyoming District Court Order Lifting Injunction 2 (PDF, 49 KB)
February 16, 2012 - Wyoming En Banc Review (PDF, 60 KB)
December 5, 2011 - Wyoming Request for En Banc Review (PDF, 222 KB)
October 21, 2011 - 10th Circuit Vacating Wyoming Decision (PDF, 264 KB)
March 4, 2011 - Tongass Exemption Vacated Order (PDF, 86 KB)
June 15, 2009 - Wyoming Roadless Reconsideration Denial (PDF, 58 KB)
August 12, 2008 - Judge Brimmer's 8/12/08 Judgement (PDF, 532 KB)
August 18, 2008 - WO Letter (PDF, 106 KB)
August 20, 2008 - Federal Motion filed in California (PDF, 33 KB)
August 20, 2008 - Federal Motion Filed in Wyoming (PDF, 36 KB)
Idaho Roadless Rule Litigation
January 29, 2011 - Judgement on Idaho Roadless Rule (PDF, 90 KB)
Roadless Archives
Chief's Review Process