Cases

Bush Roadless Repeal

Clients

Biodiversity Conservation AllianceCalifornia Wilderness CoalitionCenter for Biological DiversityConservation NorthwestDefenders of Wildlife

Regional Office / Program

Northern Rockies OfficeNorthwest Office

Case Overview

In July 2005, the Bush adminstration repealed the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, a Forest Service regulation which generally prohibited logging, road construction, and other development on over 58 million acres of roadless land in national forests. Earthjustice challenged the repeal, and on September 20, 2006, a federal district court ordered reinstatement of the rule. Furthermore, on November 29, 2006, the court ordered the Forest Service to stop work on 84 oil and gas projects and an Idaho road project that had been approved during the five years that the roadless rule was illegally repealed. 

Case Updates

February 3, 2015 feature

Timeline of the Roadless Rule

A timeline of the creation of and fight to defend the National Forest Roadless Area Conservation Policy.

November 19, 2011 Article

Victory For America's Forests

Last month, protection for nearly 50 million acres of wild lands was resoundingly affirmed in a court decision that will benefit future generations. After 13 years of legal battles by Earthjustice on behalf of our allies, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated the Roadless Rule, a landmark preservation act that protects our nation’s wild forests and grasslands from new road building, logging and development. The conviction behind the Roadless Rule, that we should protect pristine wild lands not only…

November 2, 2009 document

USDA Roadless Area Review and Evaluation (January 1979)

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Case page created on October 6, 2005.