Inventoried Roadless Areas in the National Forest System Hunters and Anglers - Take Action Now
Select your state from the list below to find information specific to your area and how you can help protect Inventoried Roadless Areas near you.
What are Inventoried Roadless Areas? Inventoried roadless areas are areas [in national forests or grasslands] exclusive of improved roads constructed or maintained for travel by means of motorized vehicles intended for highway use, according to the Roadless Area Review and Evaluation (RARE II) completed in 1979 by the USDA Forest Service. Inventoried roadless areas are commonly described as backcountry or unroaded wildlands and are places hunters and anglers know contain the best remaining fish and wildlife habitat.They are the public places on the maps where roads end and quality walk-in hunting and fishing begins.  For a short history of Inventoried Roadless Areas click here. Click here to view a national map of inventoried roadless areas. Click here to view state maps of inventoried roadless areas. How much of the National Forest System is in Inventoried Roadless Area categories? The National Forest System (NFS) includes 193 million acres of land with 386,000 miles of roads in 175 national forests and grasslands throughout the U.S. Inventoried roadless areas (IRA) are in 37 states and Puerto Rico, and comprise 58.5 million acres, or 2 percent of the 2.3 billion-acre landbase of the U.S.  Are all Inventoried Roadless Areas the same?
Are Inventoried Roadless Areas the same as Wilderness Areas? Are there roads in existing Inventoried Roadless Areas? Why are Inventoried Roadless Areas important to hunters and anglers? Roadless areas generally provide large contiguous blocks of the best habitat for big game species like mule deer, elk, moose, bighorn sheep and mountain goats, and the least degraded streams and lakes where trout, salmon and other desirable fish species dependent on clean water, stable streamflows and consistent lake storage can thrive. The absence of roads prevents fragmentation of secure habitat that big game species need for population survival. Roadless areas in large blocks also reduce the vulnerability of both fish and wildlife species to excessive harassment and harvest and allow populations to thrive at levels supporting longer hunting seasons and easy-to- purchase tags. Economic values of Inventoried Roadless Areas from hunting and fishing The TRCP believes that proper management of roadless areas in our national forests can provide quality hunting and fishing opportunities for all Americans. Please sign on to these Sportsmen's Rules 4 Roadless Areas guidelines so TRCP can make sure your voice is heard in discussions determining the fate of inventoried roadless areas in your state.
In addition, individual Partners and Affiliate organizations and businesses of TRCP can make their voice heard on roadless area management through online Action Grams from TRCP. To sign up as a TRCP partner or affiliate organization, click here.
To learn about what your governor is doing about the roadless areas in national forests or grasslands in your state, contact William Geer, TRCP’s Roadless Petition Initiative Manager. |