Montana Wildlife Groups Step Up for Roadless Rule Public Input After Forest Service Silence

HELENA, MT – In a bold move to ensure public voices are heard, the Montana Wildlife Federation (@MTWildlife) and Wild Montana are hosting their own public meetings on the U.S. Forest Service's controversial plan to repeal the 2001 Roadless Rule, after their requests for official sessions went unanswered. This is another excellent example of citizens standing together to protect wild places.

The Roadless Rule safeguards nearly 60 million acres of unroaded national forest lands nationwide, including 6.4 million acres in Montana vital for hunting, fishing, clean water, and wildlife habitat. The Forest Service initiated repeal efforts last June under Chief Tom Schultz, who argues the rule hampers active management like wildfire prevention, stating, “Leaving land alone and letting nature run its course is not management... this notion of ‘if I want to protect something, I leave it alone,’ that’s a fallacy.”

Despite 99% of over 625,000 public comments opposing the change during a brief 21-day period in September 2025—with no meetings held—the agency has proceeded without further engagement. This contrasts sharply with the original rule's development, which featured 34 meetings in Montana alone and over 600 nationwide.

MTWildlife announced their initiative in a February 20 Instagram post: "As promised, we're taking things into our own hands," after petitioning Chief Schultz for meetings on each affected forest. Wild Montana's Federal Policy Director Hilary Eisen emphasized the need for transparency: “Before finalizing the rule in 2001, the Forest Service engaged in the most extensive public process... 99% of those comments opposed repealing the Roadless Rule.”

For hunters and outdoor enthusiasts, these independent meetings offer a critical chance to weigh in before potential road-building and logging could fragment backcountry access. Check MTWildlife and Wild Montana's sites for dates and locations.