Protecting the Wild Heart of the Pacific Northwest Trail: Why the Roadless Rule Matters
The Pacific Northwest Trail offers hikers an unparalleled journey across the wild heart of Washington, Idaho and Montana. From towering forests and clear-running streams to sweeping mountain vistas, the trail’s magic depends on landscapes that feel untouched. Much of that magic is safeguarded by a cornerstone public lands policy: the 2001 Roadless Rule.
The Roadless Rule protects roughly 58 million acres of national forest lands nationwide, including 25 inventoried roadless areas that the PNT crosses directly, which together protect 156 miles of the trail. Beyond the trail itself, it also safeguards additional lands within the trail’s management corridor and viewshed, preserving the scenery, water quality, and wildlife habitat that shape the trail experience.
Specifically, the Roadless Rule helps ensure:
- Scenery and solitude – allowing hikers to immerse themselves in wild landscapes without the disruption of roads or industrial development
- Clean water – protecting headwaters and streams essential to the ecosystems the trail passes through
- Wildlife connectivity – maintaining intact habitats for species that depend on large, undisturbed landscapes
Without these protections, road construction, logging, or other development could fragment the landscapes that make the PNT extraordinary. The rule isn’t just about trees and roads — it’s about preserving the core experiences that define the trail, from the quiet of a high alpine meadow to the sight of an untouched river valley.
At PNTA, we work to ensure the PNT remains protected, accessible, and sustainably managed. Right now, the Roadless Rule faces serious challenges. The Forest Service has just published a notice in the Federal Register, outlining the agency’s intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to rescind roadless rule protections. This notice will initiate a 21-day public comment period, which will close on September 19, 2025.
You can make a difference. Submit comments to the Forest Service during the public comment period to share your support for the Roadless Rule and the protections it provides for the PNT. You can also help by reaching out to your members of Congress to advocate for continued safeguards for these wild landscapes. Every message strengthens the voice of the outdoor community and helps ensure that the PNT— and the lands that make it special — remain intact for future generations.
The Pacific Northwest Trail is more than a trail; it’s a living connection to wild landscapes. Protecting it means protecting the experiences, the scenery, and the ecosystems that make this trail truly national in scope. By submitting a public comment and contacting your members of Congress, you can help ensure these protections remain in place for generations of hikers to come.
How to take action:
There are two ways you can help protect the Pacific Northwest Trail and the Roadless Rule:
Submit a Public Comment
The Forest Service has opened a public comment period on the proposed rescission of the 2001 Roadless Rule. Comments will be accepted from August 29 through September 19, 2025. This is your chance to directly tell the agency why maintaining protections for roadless areas is important.
Steps to submit a comment:
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- Visit the Public Comment Portal for the Roadless Rule
- Click “Comment”.
- Type your comment (sample text that you can use or adapt is found below) and follow the other prompts on the comment page.
- Click the check box next to “I’m not a robot” and then click “Submit Comment”
Sample text you can use or adapt:
As someone who cares deeply about the Pacific Northwest Trail (PNT), I am writing to express strong support for keeping the 2001 Roadless Rule in place. The PNT is a 1,200-mile National Scenic Trail stretching from the Continental Divide in Montana to the Pacific Ocean in Washington. It is one of our nation’s wildest long-distance trails, connecting communities and giving people the chance to experience some of the most remote, scenic, and ecologically important landscapes in the country.
The Roadless Rule protects 25 inventoried roadless areas along the trail, safeguarding 156 miles of the PNT and countless acres of surrounding wildlands. These protections ensure that hikers and other recreationists can continue to experience the solitude, natural beauty, and wildlife that make the PNT unique. Without them, the trail experience would be fundamentally diminished.
But this is not just about one trail. The Roadless Rule protects nearly 60 million acres nationwide. These areas are critical for clean water, fish and wildlife habitat, climate resilience, and outdoor recreation opportunities for millions of Americans. They represent some of the last, best places where future generations can connect with wild public lands.
I urge the Forest Service to keep the Roadless Rule in place. It is one of the most effective, commonsense tools we have to conserve our national forests, sustain our outdoor recreation economy, and ensure that trails like the PNT remain unspoiled for all who seek them.
Contact Your Senators and Representative
Ask your elected officials to support continued protections for roadless areas and the Pacific Northwest Trail. A phone call is often the most effective method.
Sample script for calling your representative:
Hi, my name is [Your Name], and I’m a constituent from [City, State]. I’m calling to ask [Representative/Senator Name] to support lasting protections for national forest roadless areas.
The Pacific Northwest Trail is one of the nation’s most beloved long-distance routes—and it especially relies on the Roadless Rule protections that safeguard 156 miles of the trail. But the rule is under threat from ongoing efforts to rescind it.
That’s why I’m urging your support for the Roadless Area Conservation Act, recently introduced by Senator Maria Cantwell and Representative Andrea Salinas (House Bill H.R. 3930 in the current Congress), which would codify the 2001 Roadless Rule into law. This legislation would ensure protection of nearly 60 million acres of inventoried roadless areas, preserving clean water, wildlife habitat, outdoor recreation, and climate resilience.
Please advocate for this bill and oppose efforts to roll back the Roadless Rule. These lands are vital not only for the PNT experience, but for the broader conservation, outdoor recreation economy, and environmental health our constituents depend on.
Thank you for your leadership on public lands.
Tips:
- Keep it brief (1–2 minutes).
- Personal stories about hiking or outdoor experiences can make your call more memorable.
- Ask the staffer how your representative plans to act on this issue and request to be added to any updates on public lands legislation.