Bill > S2042

This bill aims to provide lasting protection for inventoried roadless areas within the National Forest System by codifying the existing Roadless Rule into law. The bill defines "inventoried roadless areas" as specific regions within national forests where road construction, reconstruction, and logging are regulated, and it prohibits such activities in these areas. The legislation highlights the significant ecological and social benefits of these roadless areas, including protecting watersheds, ensuring clean water supplies, maintaining biodiversity, providing habitat for wildlife, supporting recreational opportunities, and preserving sacred sites for Native American communities. The bill emphasizes that these protections are consistent with the Forest Service's multiple-use management approach and will not impose new limitations on land use outside of these specific areas. Key findings include that roadless areas are less prone to wildfires, help prevent landscape fragmentation, save communities money on water filtration, and support local economies dependent on recreation. The bill also notes the existing massive backlog of road maintenance costs for the Forest Service and aims to provide a legislative framework for preserving these crucial undeveloped forest regions while allowing for continued multiple uses that do not involve road construction or logging.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2042/all-info