Photo by Jeff Vanuga
The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a long-awaited decision today that secures protections for nearly 50 million acres of beloved, backcountry National Forest lands in Wyoming and throughout the nation.
This landmark ruling reverses a lower court decision and it upholds the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which prohibits new road construction in special backcountry landscapes on National Forests.
The rule had been challenged by the state of Wyoming and the Colorado Mining Association.
Today’s decision ends an injunction against the Roadless Rule’s enforcement that had been imposed by a Wyoming federal district court in 2008.
“The people of Wyoming love the outdoors — we’re hunters, anglers, hikers, and campers — and roadless areas give us some of the best backcountry recreation anywhere,” said Lisa McGee of the Wyoming Outdoor Council. “This decision ensures that some of our favorite backcountry places are going to stay the way they are.”
Media contact: Lisa McGee, National Forests and Parks program director, lisa@wyomingoutdoorcouncil.org or 307-413-2790