In the summer of 2024, my family, dogs, donkey, and I spent four glorious days in the northern Whitefish Range. While we were there, we experienced a solitude you can’t get in too many places these days. For four days, we didn’t see another human being. We enjoyed the vast night skies full of stars, played in cold mountain lakes and hiked trails we had to ourselves. We were privileged to have this opportunity thanks to the Roadless Area Conservation Rule (Roadless Rule) of 2001.
Even for those who live, work, and play in the region, it might be surprising to know that one third of the forested public lands around Glacier, Whitefish and Kalispell are protected as roadless areas. That makes it even more shocking that the Trump administration is forcing forward a plan to eliminate the Roadless Rule, a landmark conservation safeguard that includes 6.4 million acres in Montana, with almost 1.4 million of those acres within 100 miles of Glacier.
For 25 years, the Roadless Rule has protected our most intact forests like the Flathead, Kootenai and Lolo, by preventing new road construction and large-scale logging. These places safeguard clean drinking water, support wildlife, and offer unmatched, accessible opportunities to hunt, fish, hike and camp. At the same time, our national forests already contain thousands of miles of roads that are not fully maintained and provide critical access for fire safety.
When combined with the recent administrative actions, including advancing mining and oil and gas development on public lands and removing habitat protections from threatened and endangered species, ending the Roadless Rule is a recipe for destruction.
Here in Glacier country, roadless areas include the Swan Range, the backdrop of our valley, and the Whitefish Range, which is directly adjacent to Glacier National Park. Large, connected landscapes like these are increasingly rare and uniquely valuable, and our communities benefit from them every day.
Sarah Lundstrum is the Glacier Senior Program Manager at the National Parks Conservation Association.