Inventoried Roadless Area Monitoring Status
The 2001 Roadless Rule has been instrumental in preventing road building in Inventoried Roadless Areas (IRAs), thus protecting most of their wild character. Inventoried Roadless Areas constitute the majority of remaining patches of wildlife habitat occurring across our landscapes. They provide not only seasonal and yearly habitat for a host of wildlife, but also serve as the links in a fractured chain of wild lands that provide stepping stones within movement corridors but also as rare species seek out one another in their drive to sustain inter-generational genetic diversity. Since adoption of the 2021 Forest Plan, the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest no longer utilizes Standards to maintain and protect wildlife habitat across the entire forest. With regulations lacking, the wild land habitat that IRAs provide, is all that remains to sustain wildlife.
At the same time, the current federal government administration has indicated it intends to eliminate the Roadless Rule. Regardless, Helena Hunters and Anglers will continue to advocate for these remaining essential landscape links and wild places that wildlife require for survival.
In 2025, the Trump administration proposed to rescind the 2001 Roadless Rule, aiming to open nearly 59 million acres of national forest land to development. The proposal allows for increased logging, mining, and road construction in previously protected areas. Officials claim this action reduces wildfire risk and boosts economic development. The USDA would remove restrictions on road construction, reconstruction, and timber harvesting on approximately 58.5–59 million acres of National Forest System land. The administration argues the 2001 rule limits necessary forest management, such as fire prevention and timber production, and claims the move will enhance forest health.
We encourage your participation in gathering annual field information that we use to monitor and advocate for our local IRAs.
Volunteers are needed to help HHAA inventory, monitor, and advocate for the Inventoried Roadless Areas on the Helena portion of the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest. HHAA provides training on how to monitor IRA access points, describe field conditions (wildlife presence, stream health, weed presence, disturbances), and maintain field equipment.