What's New

With the new congressional session moving full steam ahead, legislation has been introduced to protect the remaining wild, roadless areas in America's national forests from logging, mining and other degrading activities. This legislation, the National Forest Roadless Area Conservation Act (HR2516), will help protect nearly 25,000 acres in Pennsylvania's only national forest, the Allegheny National Forest located in northwestern Pennsylvania.

Brief Summary

Our national forests protect clean water, preserve undisturbed wildlife habitat, and provide backcountry recreational opportunities for millions of Americans.

Pennsylvania is home to just one national forest, the Allegheny National Forest which is located in north-central Pennsylvania and is home to threatened and endangered species, headwaters that supply Pennsylvanians downstream with clean drinking water supplies, and great opportunities for a variety of recreational activities.

Unfortunately, only a mere fraction of these forests remains undisturbed by extractive industries: 16,000 miles of roads already traverse our national forests, and the Allegheny National Forest is no exception. Less than 2 percent of the Allegheny National Forest is protected as wilderness, leaving the vast majority of the forest open to logging, mining and drilling.

In 2001, PennEnvironment and our allies won a remarkable victory with the enactment of the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which placed 56 million acres of America’s pristine forest land off-limits to road-building, mining and virtually all logging. This included 25,000 acres of remaining wild forests in the Allegheny National Forest.

Unfortunately, the Bush administration stripped away this vital protection in an effort to give away these pristine forests to the timber industry and other powerful special interests.  

Luckily, a recent federal court decision by Judge Elizabeth LaPorte blocked the Bush administration's efforts and reinstated the protections established by the 2001 Roadless Rule. The decision was a huge victory in the fight to preserve America’s natural heritage.

And now, members of Congress are working to preserve these pristine areas forever, ensuring that they remain wild for future generations of Americans to enjoy as well. Take a moment to email your member of Congress and ask them to cosponsor Rep. Inslee’s “National Forests Roadless Area Conservation Act."

You can also get more information on this and other issues related to the Allegheny National Forest at the Friends of Allegheny Wilderness Web site.