You're invited to defend Montana's public lands

The U.S. Forest Service has ignored requests to hold public meetings on the proposal to repeal the Roadless Area Conservation Rule. So we’re forging ahead without them. 

Help us keep the ‘public’ in public lands. RSVP to the Custer Gallatin National Forest community meeting!

Join us, and other public lands champions, on March 12th 6-7:30pm in Bozeman to learn more about how repealing the Roadless Rule would impact recreation, wildlife, clean water, and public safety on the Custer Gallatin National Forest.

In the community meeting, we will learn about how the Roadless Rule has been implemented and the effects it has had on forests in Montana. Attendees will have the opportunity to share their thoughts on the proposed repeal and discuss alternatives for managing Montana’s roadless backcountry areas—the places where we rest, recharge, and recreate. We hope that community members will walk away feeling more informed about the rule and motivated to make public comments.

Help us show that strong public support exists for the Rule in 2026 (just as in 2001) and that Park County residents want a seat at the table in shaping the future of our backcountry, wildlife, and headwaters.

Appointed leaders in the USDA are still attempting to roll back the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, removing protections from millions of acres, including critical areas right here in Park County. Despite an overwhelming 99% of public comments opposing the rollback, the federal agenda has moved with a reckless hurry and has not held a single public meeting in Montana to discuss this huge policy change. This completely ignores the spirit of public collaboration that has shaped the management and resilience of our local lands.

If you have spent any time exploring Park County’s public lands, chances are you were hiking or hunting in a designated roadless area, or next to one. Whether you realized it or not, the 2001 Roadless Rule has protected tens of millions of acres of public lands across the West and in Montana from needless development.

The Roadless Rule is a proven, forward-thinking policy that protects the very resources that form the foundation of our local economy and communities-our clean water, our wildlife, and our wild places. It's about the Montana we want to leave for our future neighbors, children, and grandchildren.

This isn’t about roads. It’s about every Montanan’s right to have a voice in how our public lands are managed. We’re not waiting for permission. We’re building the forum ourselves — and we need you there.