COMMENT PERIOD ENDS TOMRROW!!
DEADLINE is TOMORROW!!! October 6, 2026
DEADLINE is TOMORROW!!! October 6, 2026
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Protect the 2001 Roadless Rule
COMMENT NOW! Arizona's Roadless Lands: Why Climbers Should Pay Attention
The U.S. Forest Service is proposing to rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which currently provides national-level protection for Inventoried Roadless Areas on National Forest System lands. Roadless areas were first inventoried in the 1970s, then again in the 1990s. These areas represent much of the remaining yet unprotected wilderness-quality areas left on National Forest lands in the US. Roadless areas are critically important for clean water, wildlife habitat, and high-quality recreational experiences. Arizona has approximately 1,174,256 acres of Inventoried Roadless Areas across six National Forests, including approximately 439,348 acres in the Coronado National Forest. The 2001 rule generally prohibits new road construction, road reconstruction and timber harvesting in these areas, subject to limited exceptions. It was created to provide long-term protection for roadless areas while allowing multiple uses, including conservation and recreation. Arizona Has No State Roadless Rule to Fall Back On This is a particularly important distinction for Arizona. The Forest Service has separate Colorado and Idaho Roadless Rules, adopted after the 2001 national rule. Those state-specific rules remain in effect. Arizona has no comparable state-specific roadless rule for its National Forest lands. So, if the 2001 national rule is rescinded, Arizona does not currently have a state-level roadless rule waiting to replace it. The 2001 rule is the existing national roadless baseline for Arizona's Inventoried Roadless Areas. Southern Arizona: The Places Climbers Know
The Coronado National Forest contains approximately 439,000 acres of Inventoried Roadless Areas. Several are part of larger Southern Arizona mountain landscapes familiar to climbers. Southern Arizona roadless areas include landscapes associated with:
The maps below (thanks to Access Fund) show three specific areas in Southern Arizona that are currently protected by the 2001 Roadless Act. Mount Lemmon / Santa Catalina Mountains
The 42,296-acre Butterfly Roadless Area occupies part of the southern Santa Catalina Mountains, while the 2,991-acre Upper Rincon Roadless Area lies in the same broader Coronado/Santa Catalina region. 
Map: Mount Lemmon / Santa Catalina Roadless Areas
These roadless boundaries are part of the much larger Mount Lemmon climbing landscape; the entire climbing area is not designated roadless.
Cochise Stronghold / Dragoon Mountains
The 10,543-acre Middle Dragoon Roadless Area includes major portions of the central Dragoon Mountains and encompasses the broader Stronghold Canyon landscape and formations associated with Cochise Stronghold and Rockfellow Dome. 
Map: Cochise Stronghold / Dragoon Mountains Roadless Areas
Whetstone Mountains / The Dry
The 20,728-acre Whetstone Roadless Area covers a substantial portion of the Whetstone Mountains, including Dry Canyon and the larger landscape surrounding The Dry, a well-known Southern Arizona climbing area. 
Map: Whetstone Roadless Area
Other Southern Arizona roadless landscapes
The Coronado also contains substantial roadless areas in the Chiricahua, Pinaleño, Santa Rita, Patagonia, Galiuro, Tumacacori, Huachuca and other mountain ranges. The Chiricahua Roadless Area alone encompasses approximately 76,876 acres. These examples are not a complete list of Arizona climbing areas affected by the rule, nor does the Roadless boundary encompass every climbing area within these mountain ranges. What Would Rescinding the Rule Actually Do? There is an important distinction here. It would NOT:
It WOULD: Remove the national-level restrictions contained in the 2001 rule and return primary management decisions to individual national forests and their land-management plans. It would open the Forest Lands for:
This part matters especially in Arizona. The Roadless Rule Rescission will open the door to more mining; making it easier to get authorization for a new mining project. The Forest Service's own analysis distinguishes between types of mineral development:
More broadly, however, removing the Roadless Rule would eliminate a federal layer of protection that would allow new road construction and road reconstruction in these areas. Mineral development and timber extraction are HARDLY an abstract issue in Southern Arizona. The U.S. Geological Survey describes the Coronado region as a major mineralized area, with a long history of mining and continuing mineral activity; the Forest Service has also documented active and proposed mineral exploration within and around the Coronado National Forest. Why Should Climbers Care? A climbing area isn't just the cliff. It is the approach, canyon, forest, desert landscape, views, quiet and surrounding undeveloped terrain. If additional roads or development become possible, climbers could see:
The Forest Service itself acknowledges potential recreation impacts including noise, visible infrastructure and temporary closures, and says longer-term development of new roads could increase road-based recreation while creating tradeoffs with quiet, remote and self-reliant recreation. The issue therefore is not simply whether a cliff itself remains physically accessible. It is whether the landscape around that cliff remains the kind of place people go climbing to experience. What Can You Do? The Forest Service is accepting public comments on the proposed rescission, the Draft Environmental Impact Statement and the alternatives under consideration. Comment deadline: October 6, 2026 Regulations.gov Docket: FS-2025-0001 RIN: 0596-AD66 One possibility includes a "No Action Alternative," which would retain the existing 2001 Roadless Rule. Comments should explain the reasons for the position being submitted and stay focused on the issues in the proposal. The Forest Service says comments submitted through Regulations.gov become part of the public rulemaking record. For Arizona climbers A useful comment can be personal and specific:
The Arizona Bottom Line Approximately 1.17 million acres of Arizona National Forest land are currently designated as Inventoried Roadless Areas. About 439,000 acres are in the Coronado National Forest. Those lands include portions of landscapes surrounding some of Southern Arizona's best-known climbing areas. Arizona has no state-specific roadless rule to replace the federal rule. The proposed rescission would not remove existing roads, but it would remove the national restrictions on new roads and road reconstruction and open the door for other resource-development decisions—including mineral and energy access. For climbers, the question is ultimately about more than timber. It is about what happens to the roads, access, approaches and undeveloped landscapes surrounding the places we climb. Comments are due TOMORROW - October 6, 2026. |
Click on the link below to head to the Access Fund and submit your comments!
