Commissioners set to oppose Forest Service plan to scrap 2001 Roadless Rule
On Sept. 8, Teton County’s Board of County Commissioners is set to submit a comment letter urging the U.S. Forest Service to keep the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule and pick the No Action Alternative.
Teton County’s Board of County Commissioners is set to sign and submit a formal comment letter opposing the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s proposal to rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, and urging federal officials to choose the “No Action Alternative” that would keep the rule in place Roadless Rule Formal Comment Letter.
In the letter, the board argues that rescission would drop a nationwide baseline that now applies to about 58.5 million acres of national forest, including roughly 315,575 acres in Teton County, and that the county wants “the Department select the No Action Alternative and retain the existing Rule.” The board also points to the Forest Service’s own draft analysis that “greater public access can increase human-caused ignition potential in some locations,” and frames its position as consistent with nearly 25 years of roadless-area policy and planning stability.
Background
Teton County opposes rescinding the 2001 Roadless Rule, citing ecological, economic, and planning risks, and urges the No Action Alternative to retain existing protections.
Latest: 2026-09-21 — Board submits a supplemental comment letter, reiterating opposition and emphasizing risks to 315,575 acres of roadless lands in Teton County.
curated as of 2026-09-12
Rescinding the Roadless Rule mid-process could destabilize the Bridger-Teton Forest Plan revision, forcing reconsideration of analyses and prolonging the process, per Teton County's warnings.
Latest: 2026-09 — Teton County Board of Commissioners formally warns that rescinding the Roadless Rule would disrupt the ongoing Forest Plan revision.
curated as of 2026-09-12
Teton County opposes a national open-access presumption and removal of minimization criteria, citing risks to local planning, resource protection, and emergency services.
Latest: 2026-09-21 — Commissioners submit formal comment letter to US Forest Service opposing national open-access presumption and removal of minimization criteria, requesting retention of current rule or equivalent protections.
curated as of 2026-09-19
Source Documents
| Date | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|
| September 8, 2026 | Roadless Rule Formal Comment Letter | correspondence |