SustainBrevard.org
Reid Wood
Brevard Sustainability Council
The proposed rescission of the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule is a critical issue for everyone who lives, works, or spends time in Transylvania County. Pisgah National Forest is an integral part of our local identity, economy, history, and quality of life.
The Roadless Rule protects undeveloped areas of our national forests from most new road construction and commercial timber harvesting. Approximately 15%—or 152,000 acres— of the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests are protected by this rule. This includes key local destinations such as South Mills River, Turkey Pen, Laurel Mountain, Daniel Ridge, Graveyard Fields, and backcountry areas around Shining Rock and Cedar Rock Mountain.
Beyond protecting clean water and wildlife habitat, these forests offer the wild, scenic places where we hike, bike, fish, and paddle, while drawing visitors to our community and supporting our local economy.
Pisgah also holds a unique place in American conservation history. Home to the Cradle of Forestry—the site of America’s first school of forestry—it seems especially shortsighted to allow new roads and commercial logging in roadless lands adjacent to the birthplace of
responsible forest management.
There are also important safety reasons to protect these areas. As demonstrated during Helene, our mountains are vulnerable during extreme rainfall. Cutting roads into steep terrain alters drainage, increases erosion, and can destabilize slopes; further road construction and tree removal can increase the risk of landslides. Once an intact forest is logged and fragmented by roads, its original roadless character cannot simply be restored.
There is also the question of cost. The U.S. Forest Service is responsible for approximately 370,000 miles of roads across the National Forest System, many originally built to support timber harvesting. The agency already faces billions of dollars in deferred maintenance on
its existing infrastructure. Building additional roads into currently roadless areas would add to a vast network the Forest Service is already struggling to maintain.
Wildfire access is often cited as a reason for rescinding the Roadless Rule, but the existing rule does not prevent necessary action to address wildfire risks. Forest management activities, including hazardous-fuels treatments and timber harvesting, can occur in roadless areas when needed. Roads also bring people and vehicles deeper into forests, where human activity is the source of wildfire ignition. Research by conservation and sporting organizations shows that a large majority of human-caused wildfires on National Forest lands start near roads.
The question, then, is not whether our national forests should be managed. They should.
The question is whether responsible management requires opening some of our remaining intact forests to permanent new roads and commercial logging.
Here in Transylvania County—home to the Cradle of Forestry—we should understand better than most that forest management and forest conservation are not opposing ideas.
Earlier this month, MountainTrue and the Brevard Sustainability Council held a Rally for the Roadless Rule at 185 King Street to provide information about how the proposed rescission could permanently affect the national forest areas in and around our county. Attendees received guidance on writing effective public comments and postcards to the U.S. Forest Service.
Mountain True continues to hold information sessions throughout our region. You can find more information on their website.
The public comment period has been extended to October 6, 2026. Comments may be submitted online through the Federal Register at thefederalregister.org/documents/2026-18648/special-areas-roadless-areaconservation or mailed to:
Director, Ecosystem Management Coordination
201 14th Street SW, Mailstop 1108
Washington, DC 20250-1124
Docket: FS-2025-0001
RIN: 0596-AD66
Please consider submitting a public comment. This is an opportunity for all of us to weigh in on how our public lands are stewarded and protected for future generations.
LEED-accredited architect Reid Wood joined the Brevard Sustainability Council to support civic leaders and residents in shaping a resilient future. She is particularly passionate about developing and building a robust database of best practices in sustainability, climate resilience, and infrastructure—resources that empower informed decision-making and long-term planning for our community and region.