:
John,
Logging and mining could tear down 45 million acres of our national forests.[1]
Towering forests in 36 states and Puerto Rico are on the chopping block -- from New Hampshire's White Mountain National Forest to Alaska's Tongass National Forest.
Meet three of these wild forests that we're working to defend:
California's Inyo National Forest is a land of superlatives. It's where the desert meets Mt. Whitney, the highest mountain peak in the Lower 48.
Rare wildlife including Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep, black toads and golden trout are only found in this region.
In the Eastern Sierra, you'll find the oldest living trees on Earth: bristlecone pines that cling to windswept slopes. This is the forest where the ancient bristlecone pine tree Methuselah has stood sentinel for at least 4,800 years.[2]
While it's unlikely that these specific ancient trees would be cut down, tens of thousands of acres of Jeffrey pines and other trees could be opened to logging and road-building.
This is just one of 20 forests at risk in California. More than 4 million acres of California forest are on the chopping block.[3]
The White Mountain National Forest is a New England favorite, covering a large area in New Hampshire and part of Maine. The Appalachian Trail runs through this forest, and it sees more than 6 million visitors each year.[4]
Deep in the trees, waterfalls trickle down rock faces and feed cold, clear streams. You might stumble upon a wild patch of blueberries as you explore.
Reaching one of the peaks in this range of small mountains rewards you with stunning views. In autumn, it's a cornucopia of color. In the winter, the forest becomes a shock of white as the snow blankets the trees.
More than 260,000 acres of New England's forests are kept wild thanks to the Roadless Rule, which has protected much of the White Mountains from logging and road-building for the last 24 years.[5]
In the eastern Upper Peninsula, the Hiawatha National Forest is one of the last truly wild places in Michigan.
Government Island, the largest completely undeveloped island in the Les Cheneaux archipelago and part of the Hiawatha National Forest, is one of the state's most cherished places. And it's protected by the Roadless Rule, meaning that its trees can't be cut down to build roads or vacation homes.
Paddling through the waters of Lake Huron through Michigan's iconic Les Cheaneaux Islands takes you past towering white pines and cedar trunks. An osprey peers down from its nest as you glide by. Hidden deeper in the forest are beavers, porcupines and mink.[6]
All of this could be destroyed if Hiawatha National Forest is opened to logging.
It's urgent that we rally enough support to defend our forests.
A proposal from the Forest Service would revoke the Roadless Rule, which prohibits road-building, logging and mining across 45 million acres of national forest land. Keeping these forests wild is the only thing standing between these trees and the strip mines and chainsaws.
The Forest Service only gave the public 21 days to comment on its proposal to undo forest protections, and we're fast approaching the agency's Sept. 19 deadline for public comments. Environment Colorado and our national network have already collected more than 50,000 comments, but we're not stopping yet.
Our top priority right now is to speak up for the trees and save our wild forests.
Thank you for all that you do,
Ellen Montgomery
P.S. The Forest Service's Sept. 19 deadline for public comments is fast approaching. Will you donate to help defend our forests in this final push?
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1. "Secretary Rollins Opens Next Step in the Roadless Rule Rescission," U.S. Department of Agriculture, August 27, 2025.
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2. "Inyo National Forest: About the Area," U.S. Forest Service, last accessed September 9, 2025.
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3. Laura Deehan, "California's wild forests may lose Roadless Rule protections," Environment California, September 4, 2025.
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4. "White Mountain National Forest: About the Forest," U.S. Forest Service, last accessed September 9, 2025.
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5. Zack Porter, "America's 'roadless areas' are under attack. Here's what New England stands to lose.," New Hampshire Bulletin, September 8, 2025.
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6. Calvin Floyd, "Michigan's wild forests: What's at stake if we lose the Roadless Rule?," Environment Michigan, August 25, 2025.
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