What Losing the Roadless Rule Could Mean for the Pisgah and Nantahala

By Jon Tharp, Broker  ·  October 5, 2026

For 25 years, a federal rule has kept roads and logging out of the backcountry of the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests. That rule may be on its way out.

On Aug. 18, the U.S. Forest Service started the process to rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, better known as the Roadless Rule. In North Carolina it protects about 172,000 acres, including parts of Linville Gorge and South Mills River, BPR reported. The Pisgah and Nantahala contain nearly 152,000 acres of inventoried roadless areas, according to Carolina Public Press.

What is the Roadless Rule?

The rule restricts road building and logging in undeveloped portions of national forests, covering 66 million acres nationwide. Under the Pisgah-Nantahala Forest Plan, these roadless areas are managed primarily as backcountry or under more restrictive designations such as the Appalachian Trail Corridor, Heritage Corridors or designated Wilderness.

According to the Southern Environmental Law Center, more than 80% of North Carolina's roadless areas would be open to roadbuilding, logging and development if the rule is rescinded, NC Local reported. The rule also covers a portion of the Croatan National Forest on the coast.

Why does the USDA want to roll it back?

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins framed the move around wildfire and forest health. "For too long, outdated restrictions have kept tens of millions of forested acres off-limits to the very treatments that improve forest health and reduce wildfire risk to our communities," Rollins said.

The USDA says the proposal returns decisions to local Forest Service managers and does not mandate timber cutting or road construction. A spokesperson for the National Forests in North Carolina told NC Local the change "will likely have minimal impacts on current management," since steep terrain, remote locations and statutory limits generally make road construction in many of these areas impractical.

NC Local reported that a recent study showed wildfires are four times more likely to start near a road than in roadless areas, and that Forest Service research found fuel management activities in roadless areas have been more numerous per square kilometer than elsewhere in the National Forest System.

What could it mean for drinking water and trout streams?

Former Forest Service Chief Mike Dombeck, who oversaw the rule's development, told NC Local that these roadless areas influence about 415 miles of streams that provide drinking water for about 1.5 million people. Water sources from within the Pisgah provide drinking water to cities including Asheville, Hendersonville and Charlotte.

In forests, roads are the main cause of water quality degradation because they increase soil erosion and sediment pollution in nearby rivers and streams. Earth Economics estimates Roadless Rule areas provide about $32 million a year in water quality benefits in North Carolina. Meanwhile, the Forest Service reported an $8.6 billion road maintenance backlog in fiscal 2023.

"It just doesn't make sense to punch roads into these backcountry areas when you can't afford to take care of the vast majority of roads you already have," said Chris Wood, president and CEO of Trout Unlimited.

Will Harlan of the Center for Biological Diversity, who lives in Barnardsville, called roadless areas "the backbone of our outdoor recreation economy" and places "where hellbenders and trout have the best habitat."

What happens next?

The final comment period on the proposed rescission is open through Oct. 6, according to NC Local, which updated its story to reflect the new deadline. Comments can be submitted at regulations.gov under docket number FS-2025-0001. Roughly 99% of comments the USDA received last fall opposed rescinding the rule, according to the Southern Environmental Law Center. Once the comment period closes, the USDA will review comments and decide whether to proceed, modify or withdraw the proposal.

*Sources: BPR, Carolina Public Press via NC Newsline, NC Local*

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Roadless Rule?

The Roadless Rule is a 2001 federal rule that restricts road building and logging in undeveloped portions of national forests. It covers 66 million acres nationwide and about 172,000 acres in North Carolina, mostly in the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests.

How much of the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests is roadless?

The Pisgah and Nantahala contain nearly 152,000 acres of inventoried roadless areas within their roughly 1 million acres, according to Carolina Public Press.

When does the public comment period on the Roadless Rule end?

The final comment period on the proposed rescission is open through Oct. 6, according to NC Local, which updated its reporting to reflect the new deadline. Once the comment period closes, the USDA will review comments and decide whether to proceed with, modify or withdraw the proposal.