Wyoming County Commissioners Support Repeal of 3.3 Million Acre Roadless Rule

Wyoming county commissioners have endorsed a federal push to eliminate protections across millions of acres of public land, diverging sharply from local conservation groups and municipal leaders. The Wyoming County Commissioners Association backed the U.S. Forest Service proposal to repeal the Roadless Rule, buffalobulletin.com reported.

The Scale of Affected Public Lands

The federal rule, established in 2001, currently restricts road construction across 45 million acres of forest nationwide. In Wyoming alone, the designation covers 3.3 million acres. That total includes nearly the entirety of the Wyoming and Salt River Ranges along with large portions of the Gros Verte Range outside the Gros Verte Wilderness.

Commissioners Cite Local Control in Decision

The association operates on a consensus model rather than formal votes, according to Micah Christensen, the natural resource adviser for the group. Commissioners from every county in the state except Teton County backed rescission. Christensen stated that local leaders want decisions regarding which lands receive protection handled locally through standard forest planning. The association acknowledged that unroaded landscapes hold important ecological and recreational values, but argued those determinations should not remain governed by a national mandate.

Conservationists Defend Existing Protections

Conservation organizations oppose the rollback, arguing that federal oversight remains essential for federal lands. Peggie dePasquale, national forest wildlands director for the Wyoming Wilderness Association, stated that the current framework provides ample room for local input. There is an incredible amount of flexibility baked into the rule as it stands today, dePasquale said, adding that it empowers local land managers to handle unique landscapes appropriately. Local conservation groups, including the Wyoming Outdoor Council and the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, joined the opposition.

They are federal public lands, so it feels appropriate that a federal rule would direct management of these roadless areas.

Peggie dePasquale

State Officials Align on Repeal

The commissioners association joins a growing list of state leaders supporting the elimination of the rule. Gov. Mark Gordon, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, U.S. Cynthia Lummis, U.S. John Barrasso, and U.S. Representative Harriet Hageman all support the rescission. In contrast, the Teton County Board of County Commissioners submitted public comments favoring retention of the rule.

Public Feedback Precedes Final Review

Public comment periods on the proposed repeal closed earlier in October. The Forest Service previously initiated an environmental analysis on the rescission in August 2025. That earlier comment window drew more than 625,000 submissions, with roughly 99% opposing the rescission according to the draft environmental impact statement.