Released by onX earlier this month, the “Roadless Rule: By the Numbers” report highlights key impacts of the rule, which places limits on road development and logging on relatively undeveloped national forest land. To put together the report, the satellite mapping company cross-referenced USFS boundary files with its own outdoor recreation data, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service habitat data, and 50 years of National Interagency Fire Center records.
Some of the key takeaways are eye-opening. For instance, though the roadless rule encompasses just 27.7% of all USFS land, only 3.17% of wildfires start in those areas, while 90% of all fires in the U.S. start within half a mile of a road. This data point provides a compelling counter to the argument that repealing the Roadless Rule will improve wildfire prevention.
In terms of wildlife, onX highlighted the fact that those areas provide critical intact habitat and migration corridors for three big game species: black bears, elk, and mule deer. Additionally, the report shows that the Roadless Rule does not prohibit motorized recreation where it was already allowed prior to its implementation—and that includes 7,201 miles of full-size motorized trails and primitive roads, 2,494 miles of ATV and side-by-side trails, 2,167 miles of motorized singletrack trails, and 1,295 miles of snowmobile trails.
In addition to the report, onX released a free interactive map that visualizes the areas impacted by the roadless rule, as well as the main recreational opportunities and wildlife habitats within them.
“At onX, we turn land and recreation data into something people can actually use,” said onX
CEO Laura Orvidas in a press release. “This report is an extension of that. These 44.7 million acres have supported hunting, fishing, off-roading, and wildlife habitat for 25 years.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is expected to release a Draft Environmental Impact Statement on rescinding the rule in the near future, which will open a public comment period on the issue. This tool will provide useful facts for public land users to cite when providing their perspective on the subject to the Department of Ag and elected representatives, as well as for understanding the impacts of the Roadless Rule on Forest Service lands near them.
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