Patagonia publicly called out the Trump administration in an open letter published in a Time magazine column this month. The company’s CEO, Ryan Gellert, voiced the company’s opposition to a White House proposal to overturn the “Roadless Rule.” The column urged the public to weigh in against rescinding the rule during the comment period, which closes after this week.
This conservation rule, in place since 2001, limits new roads, timber harvest, and development across 58.5 million acres in 37 states. At the time, it was approved after 600 public meetings and sweeping support from a large majority of comments.
Now, the Trump administration aims to overturn the landmark conservation achievement, impacting 45 million acres of public lands, after a 3-week comment period that ends this Friday, Sept. 19. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), rescinding the rule will help address wildfires and encourage responsible forest management.
“The proposal aligns with President Trump’s executive order Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation to get rid of overcomplicated, burdensome barriers that hamper American business and innovation,” the USDA wrote in a press release.
But Gellert vehemently opposed the measure.
“We should know better than to take the administration’s statements at face value,” he wrote in his letter. “I believe that rescinding the Roadless Rule is simply another way for Trump to wring resources out of public lands again. This time, minerals.”
The outdoor recreation and public lands access nongovernmental organization Outdoor Alliance (OA) has an online tool for supporters to leave a comment, which OA will add to the official public comments on the White House plan. Alternatively, the public can send their comments directly to the government through Regulations.gov.
Roadless Rule Rescission
Patagonia isn’t the only organization asking the public to take a stand against the White House’s plan. A broad swath of the outdoor community has joined the fray, including Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, and OA. The alliance also made an interactive map showcasing the public lands under threat, and offered more details about the impact on outdoor recreation.
The 45 million acres under threat by the administration include 8,659 climbing routes and bouldering problems, 768 miles of whitewater paddling runs, and a whopping 25,121 miles of trails.
Even many well-known athletes joined the chorus of outrage over the proposal. Climbing legend Tommy Caldwell asked his supporters to protest the White House’s plan, detailing how some of the public lands near his home in Estes Park, Colo., would be threatened. Snowboarding icons Jeremy Jones and Nick Russell also made social media posts asking their followers to leave a comment opposing the rescission of so many acres of public land.
“We have fought this off before and we can do it again if everyone makes their voices heard,” Jones wrote on Instagram. “Public comment is open until September 19th.”
