Western NC Showed Up for Its Wild Forests in a Big Way

By Jon Tharp, Broker  ·  October 17, 2026

The federal plan to repeal the Roadless Rule drew 1.1 million comments nationally, and according to a data analysis cited by MountainTrue, 99% of commenters opposed repeal.

For Western North Carolina, this one hits close to home. The 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule protects nearly 152,000 acres of the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests, part of 58.5 million acres protected nationwide. Those undeveloped lands filter drinking water for millions, protect wildlife habitat, store carbon, and anchor the region's outdoor recreation economy.

What is the USDA proposing to change?

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has proposed rescinding the rule in its 25th year. MountainTrue calls it an unprecedented threat to America's last wild forests.

The group's bigger complaint is about process. When the Forest Service first proposed the rule in October 1999, it held more than 600 public hearings and collected 1.6 million comments, roughly 90% in support. This time, according to MountainTrue, the agency offered a rushed comment window and held zero public hearings.

Where did Western North Carolina hold its own hearings?

So MountainTrue held them itself. Since March, the group has hosted ten community hearings and rallies across the region, including in Franklin, Waynesville, Brevard, Hayesville, Asheville, Boone, and Swannanoa, reaching more than 1,000 people.

Attendees watched "Why We Need the Roadless Rule," a documentary from local filmmaker Aidin Robbins about the direct impacts a repeal would have on the Pisgah and Nantahala. Organizers collected more than 800 handwritten postcards at the rallies and distributed another 2,200 for people to mail in on their own.

How many people commented on the Roadless Rule repeal?

MountainTrue worked alongside a national coalition of nonprofits, aiming to match the historic wave of public input from 2001. Board member Nick Holshouser built tools at Roadless.org to help people cut through red tape and track submissions, and analyzed the federal docket through RoadlessDefense.org.

The comment period closed October 6 with 1.1 million comments nationally, and handwritten postcards were still trickling in. A data analysis found 99% of commenters opposed repeal.

What happens next?

The USDA is now reviewing the public record. MountainTrue says it and its partners will keep holding the agency accountable to the science, the law, and the will of the people.

Original reporting from MountainTrue.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

How many acres of Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests does the Roadless Rule protect?

Nearly 152,000 acres in Western North Carolina's Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests, part of 58.5 million acres protected nationwide.

How many people commented on the Roadless Rule repeal?

The national total reached 1.1 million comments when the comment period closed on October 6, and a data analysis found 99% of commenters opposed repealing the rule.

Were there public hearings on the Roadless Rule repeal in Western NC?

According to MountainTrue, the Forest Service held no public hearings. MountainTrue hosted ten community hearings and rallies of its own, in Asheville, Boone, Brevard, Franklin, Hayesville, Swannanoa, and Waynesville, reaching more than 1,000 people.