(September 22, 2025) – The outdoor business community is mobilizing to fight back against the current effort – led by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Secretary, Brooke Rollins – to roll back the Roadless Rule. Eighty nine brands signed a letter which was submitted to the Forest Service last week at the close of the 21 day scoping comment period.
According to the letter, signatories “represent businesses whose success depends on the sustainable management of forests, lands, and waters.” The letter urges Secretary Rollins to base decisions regarding the Roadless Rule on both science and local feedback from businesses, tribes, and communities. In addition, the letter calls on the USDA to provide the outdoor business community with better data about both recreation and projected economic impacts of full rescission. It also emphasizes the economic value of land protections made possible by the rule, stating: “Contrary to Secretary Rollins’ previous statements about the Roadless Rule, we assert that durable, time-tested land protections drive business innovation and prosperity across the U.S.”
This comment period was the first step in the USDA’s plan to roll back the highly popular policy that is often celebrated as one of America’s most successful conservation measures. This attempt to rescind the Roadless Rule puts 45 million acres at risk and threatens clean water, biodiversity, recreation access, and local economies.
Businesses were organized by The Conservation Alliance, which leads Brands for Public Lands, a coalition of businesses strategically focused on building a collective defense against the significant, current threats to our public lands system.
“Public Lands are one of the greatest gifts America has to offer – open to all who seek adventure. GRAYL customers depend on these places to recreate, hunt, explore and so much more. Keeping these wild places wild is vital – the Roadless Rule is a safeguard for these landscapes that not only empower our customers, but inspire GRAYL and drive the innovation behind every single product we build.” – Travis Merrigan, co-founder at GRAYL
“Healthy, intact landscapes aren’t just our backdrop—they’re the heartbeat of everything we do. Rolling back the Roadless Rule reflects a short-sighted view that natural resources only hold value when exploited, when in fact industries like the $1.2 trillion outdoor recreation economy—and businesses like ours—depend on thriving ecosystems. Weakening these protections doesn’t support American business. It undermines it.” – Betsy Harter, Kahtoola Associate of Sustainability
“Rescinding the Roadless Rule threatens tens of millions of acres people across the country rely on for clean air and water, recreation and more. Inviting extractive industry and development into pristine forests will harm businesses and communities that rely on outdoor recreation while worsening the climate and nature crises at a time we should be doing everything in our power to decrease our impact.” – Ryan Gellert, CEO at Patagonia
“As the owner of an outdoor retail company based in Montana, I rely on Roadless Areas and protected rivers for the viability of my business. These areas already support a robust outdoor recreation economy that is more valuable than any resource that can be extracted. Rescinding the roadless rule will harm Mainstreet businesses like mine in every community adjacent to roadless areas. Instead of rescinding this rule, we should be carefully looking at how we can improve it.” – Todd Frank, Owner of The Trail Head
“For 25 years, the Roadless Rule has helped protect the wild places we love. This type of stewardship is vital for communities – and for everyone’s access to the outdoors. Now is the time to stand together to defend it.” – Susan Viscon, Chief New Ventures and Impact Officer, REI
About The Conservation Alliance
The Conservation Alliance harnesses the power of businesses from a wide range of industries to protect outdoor spaces and wild places. We drive a proactive agenda to protect nature utilizing strategic advocacy and grantmaking, leveraging business influence, and building deep partnerships with grassroots organizations and local communities to collectively deliver high impact conservation outcomes, protecting North America’s outdoor places and wild spaces for everyone. Since 1989, we’ve awarded $34.5 million in grants and helped protect over 125 million acres and 4,964 river miles, remove or halt 43 dams, purchase 22 climbing areas, and designate five marine reserves and one national marine sanctuary. For complete information about The Conservation Alliance, visit conservationalliance.com.
Media Contact:
Lilly Zoller
248-302-1553
lilly@conservationalliance.com
