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John,

More of our national forests are on the chopping block right now.

45 million acres of national forests around the country are at risk of losing their protections, from the Tongass National Forest in Alaska to White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire.

We can't let the logging industry start tearing down mature and old-growth trees in the remote regions of our forests.

Meet three of the national forests that have wild, roadless areas.

Stepping into the Tongass National Forest in Alaska is like stepping back in time. Endless expanses of evergreen trees stretch into the distance like they did thousands of years ago.

In the Tongass, more than 9 million acres are roadless -- it's the largest swath of national forest where logging and mining roads are off-limits.

Many of the Tongass' trees are hundreds of years old, and they support a flourishing ecosystem. Abundant salmon swim up the glacier-fed streams among the trees. The world's largest concentration of bald eagles nest in the Tongass' towering trees. And most of the remaining endangered Alexander Archipelago wolves live in the Tongass.[1,2]

But these ancient trees are also a magnet for the logging industry, which specifically wants to log the old-growth trees in the Tongass.[3]

Right now, the Tongass is protected by what's called the Roadless Rule, which we helped pass in order to protect wild, undeveloped forests. If it's revoked, 9 million acres of ancient Tongass forest could be opened to logging and mining.

In the Pineywoods region of Texas, Sam Houston National Forest is just 50 miles north of Houston. You probably could guess that most of the trees here are pine trees. Most are loblolly pines, common throughout the Southeastern U.S. There are still some pockets of longleaf pine, but these trees grow in a tiny fraction of their historic range throughout Texas.[4]

The endangered red-cockaded woodpecker depends on the mature pine trees of the Sam Houston National Forest. While other woodpeckers aren't as choosy, the red-cockaded woodpecker only lives inside living mature pine forests, spending years carving its home inside an 80-year-old tree.[5]

Of the 196,000 acres of the Sam Houston forest, less than 8,000 are protected from logging. If logging returns to wild parts of the forest, the trees might not live long enough to support these endangered birds. More than a century of logging changed this Texas forest. Preserving stands of this forest with the Roadless Rule for the last 24 years has allowed the trees to mature so that future generations of woodpeckers and people alike can enjoy these pines.[6]

Pennsylvania's only national forest sits in the northwest part of the commonwealth. When Allegheny National Forest was first created, very few trees were even still standing and it was majorly depleted. 102 years later, Allegheny's old-growth trees are just coming into their own.[7]

When the leaves change color in the fall, it's easy to see just how many different tree species now grow in Allegheny. Visitors come from all over the region to see the dramatic blend of orange, yellow and red in the treetops.

The 25,000 acres of roadless areas in Allegheny National Forest are one of the only things keeping these mature and old-growth trees standing tall rather than being sold off to timber companies.[8]

There's never been a more critical time to rally support for our forests. The U.S. Forest Service is considering rolling back the Roadless Rule right now.

The Roadless Rule has protected millions of acres of national forests from logging and mining roads for 24 years, thanks in large part to Environment Colorado and our national network.

These remote places were set aside to just let the forest be, with no logging, mining or other destructive activities. Without roads, the logging industry can't get to these mature and old-growth trees and they're kept safe from the chainsaws and bulldozers.

But now, this landmark forest protection could be undone.

This is one of the shortest public comment periods we've ever seen -- we only have three weeks to make our voices heard. It's all hands on deck to keep our wild forests off the chopping block.

Thank you for all you do,

Ellen Montgomery

P.S. We have less than three weeks to generate public comments defending the Roadless Rule. Donate now to help us defend our national forests.
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1. Katrina Leibich, "Rainforest Wolves of Alaska's Alexander Archipelago," U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, last accessed July 22, 2025.
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2. Kerrie Flanagan, "The Tongass National Forest," Alaska Magazine, July 22, 2017.
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3. Alix Soloman, "Feds ask court to dismiss timber industry lawsuit that aims to increase Tongass old-growth logging," KTOO News, June 6, 2025.
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4. Geneva Diaz, "The Only Guide You'll Need to Sam Houston National Forest," Houstonia Magazine, September 7, 2023.
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5. "Red-cockaded Woodpecker," U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, last accessed July 23, 2025.
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6. "Pineywoods Wildlife Management Historical Perspective," Texas Parks & Wildlife, last accessed July 23, 2025.
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7. "Allegheny National Forest: About the Area," U.S. Forest Service, last accessed July 23, 2025.
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8. Marcie Schellhammer, "End of Roadless Rule brings increase in Allegheny National Forest timber sales," Olean Times Herald, July 2, 2025.
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