On October 5, onWater signed a letter to the Secretary of Agriculture, the Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment, and the Chief of the Forest Service. The ask was simple: keep strong protections on 45 million acres of roadless national forest across 37 states.
We weren't alone. 72 other outfitters, fly shops, guides, gear makers, and hunting and fishing outlets signed it too.
What's going on
Since 2001 the Roadless Area Conservation Rule has kept new roads out of the most remote parts of our national forests. USDA has proposed rescinding it. The public comment period closed October 6, and the Forest Service is now working through those comments before it decides what happens next.
We got our name on the record before the deadline. This post is about why.
Why a map company cares
A lot of the water you fish starts somewhere you've probably never been.
The letter points out that nearly all of Montana's Blue Ribbon trout streams have headwater tributaries flowing out of roadless areas. That's where the cold, clean water comes from. Same story with salmon and steelhead in the Pacific Northwest and wild trout in the Rockies and Appalachia. In Alaska's Tongass National Forest, more than half of the streams that salmon and steelhead run up are in roadless country.
Roads change that. The letter says new roads and development would fragment habitat, hurt water quality, and cut into the backcountry fishing and hunting that a lot of people plan their whole year around. Once a road goes in, it doesn't really come back out.
We spend every day helping anglers figure out where the good water is. We can't do that and stay quiet when the water itself is on the table.
Where we stand
Keep the protections. The letter calls roadless areas "the crown jewels of America's public lands," and we agree.
This isn't about locking the forests up, either. The letter makes the point that for 25 years the rule has kept the backcountry intact while still giving the Forest Service room for active management and forest health work. That balance has held up, and we'd like to see it stay.
Who we stand with
This is the part we're proudest of. Look at the list and it's the people who actually make a living on this water: lodges and guides in Juneau, Sitka, Petersburg, and the Kenai. Fly shops in Missoula, Taos, Eugene, and Jackson. Rod builders in Twin Bridges and Montrose. The people who make the waders, drift boats, rafts, and lines a lot of you are using right now. Plus Field & Stream, MeatEater, The Drake, and The Flyfish Journal.
These are the folks whose livelihoods ride on healthy headwaters, and we're glad to be on the same page with them.
The full letter
Sent October 5, 2026, to the Honorable Brooke L. Rollins, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture; the Honorable Michael Boren, U.S. Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment; and Mr. Tom Schultz, Chief, U.S. Forest Service.
Dear Madam Secretary, Under Secretary Boren, and Chief Schultz,
We are hunting and angling outfitters, gear manufacturers, and media companies whose businesses and livelihoods depend on world-class hunting and fishing opportunity on America’s public lands. We urge the Forest Service to uphold strong conservation safeguards for 45 million acres of roadless national forest lands across 37 states as the agency considers the future of the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule.
Roadless areas comprise some of the most important habitat for fish and wildlife in the nation. Across the country—from salmon and steelhead in the Pacific Northwest to wild trout in the Rockies and Appalachia—these lands provide some of the best and most productive habitat and fishing opportunity in the world. Roadless areas are essential to sustain big game populations, including deer, elk and bighorn sheep, by maintaining connected corridors and unfragmented habitat. Across Montana, Wyoming and Utah, nearly 96% of roadless areas provide habitat for elk. Alaska’s Tongass National Forest produces more salmon than all other forests combined. Over 50% of the anadromous streams in the Tongass are within roadless areas.
The immense fish and wildlife values found in roadless areas provide the quality hunting and fishing experience our clients and customers demand. In Idaho, research shows that hunter success is greater in unroaded areas, where a 25% success rate is achieved, compared to roaded areas, where success rates were only 15%. In Wyoming, fewer roads allow for longer hunting seasons. In hunting units with seasons longer than 35 days, 62% of the land is undeveloped. In Montana, the only hunting districts that allow rifle bull elk hunting during the rut are in areas without roads (Roadless and Wilderness) and nearly all the state’s famed Blue Ribbon trout streams have headwater tributaries flowing from roadless areas that provide cold, clean water and quality angling opportunities. Simply put, for hunters and anglers, roadless areas are the crown jewels of America’s public lands.
If conservation measures for roadless areas were removed, anglers and hunters, outfitters, gear manufacturers, small businesses, and Americans of all walks of life stand to lose too much. Habitat loss and fragmentation have reduced the range of many fish and wildlife species across the country already, and roadless areas are some of the last expanses of intact habitat for many species. Without strong safeguards for roadless areas, new roads and other development activities would fragment fish and wildlife habitat, degrade water quality, and significantly reduce quality backcountry hunting and fishing opportunities on public lands.
For 25 years, strong and consistent roadless area policy has conserved backcountry public lands and waters while providing flexibility for the Forest Service to steward these high-value landscapes through active management that improves forest health and allows for natural resource development. We cannot afford to lose the habitats and hunting and fishing opportunities provided by roadless areas, and we urge that you recognize their immense value as you analyze proposed changes to the 2001 Roadless Rule.
Sincerely,
Signed by
- Alaska Alpine Hunts
Petersburg, AK- Alaska Fly Fishing Goods
Juneau, AK- ALLROD
Missoula, MT- Alpacka Raft LLC
Mancos, CO- American Fly Fishing Trade Association
Chico, CA- Argali
Boise, ID- Baranof Wilderness Lodge
Warm Springs Bay, AK- Bear Creek Outfitters
Juneau, AK- Blackfoot River Outfitters
Missoula, MT- Caddis Fly Shop LLC
Eugene, OR- Cheeky Fishing
Erie, CO- Chrome Chasers, LLC
Wrangell, AK- ClackaCraft Drift Boats
Clackamas, OR- Dave Smith Decoys
Lebanon, OR- DRYFT Fishing Waders
Bellingham, WA- Eldredge Bros. Fly Shop
Cape Neddick, ME- Equinox Alaska
Sitka, AK- Expedition Broker
Haines, AK- Explore Kenai LLC
Soldotna, AK- Far Bank (Sage Fly Fishing, Redington, RIO Products, Fly Water Travel)
Bainbridge Island, WA- Field & Stream
New York, NY- Firehole Ranch
West Yellowstone, MT- First Lite
Hailey, ID- FishHound Expeditions
Willow, AK- FishMammoth
Mammoth Lakes, CA- Grundéns
Poulsbo, WA- Gull Cove Lodge/Chichagof Charters
Elfin Cove, AK- HEST
Seattle, WA- Jackson Hole Anglers, LLC
Jackson, WY- JD High Country Outfitters
Jackson, WY- Kenai Riverside Fishing/Alaska Wildland Adventures
Girdwood, AK- Knot the Reel World Fly Fishing
Richmond, VA- KUIU Ultralight Hunting
Dixon, CA- Lamson Fly Fishing
Boise, ID- Loon Outdoors
Ashland, OR- Maven
Lander, WY- Mayfly Outdoors (Ross Reels, Abel Reels, Airflo Fly Lines, Renzetti Vises, Dyna-King Vises, Airlite Fly Rods and Reels)
Montrose, CO- MeatEater
Bozeman, MT- Mister Kenai Sport Fishing LLC
Sterling, AK- Namebini
Duluth, MN- North Sky Adventures
Missoula, MT- Northwest River Supplies
Moscow, ID- OARS
Angels Camp, CA- onWater Fish
Denver, CO- Oregon Pack Works
Bend, OR- Orvis
Sunderland, VT- RepYourWater
Erie, CO- Rio Craft
Missoula, MT/Durango, CO- R.L. Winston Rod Company
Twin Bridges, MT- Salmon Berry Tours
Anchorage, AK- Scientific Anglers
Midland, MI- Scott Fly Rod Company
Montrose, CO- Seward Tours
Seward, AK- Simms Fishing Products
Bozeman, MT- Sound Sailing
Sitka, AK- Southeast Alaska Guiding
Douglas Island, AK- St. Croix Rod Company
Park Falls, WI- Sunny Cove Kayaking
Seward, AK- Sweetwater Travel Company
Livingston, MT- Tactical Fly Fisher
Springville, UT- Taos Fly Shop
Taos, NM- The Drake Magazine
Denver, CO- The Fly Shop
Redding, CA- The Flyfish Journal
Bellingham, WA- The Trail Head & Trail Head River Sports
Missoula, MT- Thomas & Thomas Fly Rods
Greenfield, MA- Tongass on the Fly
Petersburg, AK- Umpqua Feather Merchants
Louisville, CO- Undisclosed Excursions LLC
Juneau, AK- Vortex
Barneveld, WI- Westbank Anglers
Wilson, WY- WorldCast Anglers
Victor, ID- Yellow Dog Flyfishing
Bozeman, MT