A year ago, I applied for a Roadless Organizer Position with TU. The position would have involved raising grassroots support for backcountry areas amongst anglers and hunters. I was thanked for my interest, but I didn’t even get an interview because TU received so many applications from candidates “with more experience.”

I didn’t realize how under-qualified I was until the bio.s for the folks they hired were posted on the TU staff page. If I had been in charge of hiring, I wouldn’t have interviewed myself either! The Roadless/Backcountry Organizers are highly experienced journalists and authors. Not only that, but they are truly dedicated outdoorsmen who have spent years fishing and hunting their local areas.

Tom Reed is the Backcountry Organizer for Montana and Wyoming. He has published a book about grizzly bears and is currently working on another one about horses. He grew up exploring the mountains of his native Colorado. Tom worked for Wyoming Fish and Game for years, providing him with an inside perspective of fish and wildlife issues in the state. Tom is an avid hunter and fisherman who enjoys horsepacking into remote areas. Always excited to get out of the office and into the backcountry, Tom joined me for a day of fishing and told me about TU’s roadless initiatives.

With the rivers high and largely unfishable, Tom and I hiked into the Hidden Lakes, a chain of eight ponds in the Gallatin Mountains near Big Sky. The lakes are about 3 miles from the trailhead, which is about 20 minutes by dirt road from the highway. I fished here once before as a teenager and I have always wanted to return in search of the resident golden trout.

Goldens are native to the Sierra Nevada, but wild populations have been established in high mountain lakes up and down the Rockies. In full spawning color, these trout are stunning and rival the brookie for the “prettiest salmonid award.” Golden trout are found almost exclusively in backcountry areas, making them appropriate quarry for our trip.

During the Clinton Administration, the Forest Service designated 58.5 million acres of less-disturbed land to remain “roadless.” These lands are outside of designated Wilderness Areas and National Parks, but tend to be remote and ecologically important. Some of these areas do have jeep trails and other un-maintained vehicular trails, but for the most part, they are road-free. The “roadless” designation does not eliminate current motorized vehicle trails, but it does maintain the current state of the land and prohibit the development of new roads.

The Bush Administration has dismissed this legislation, known as the “Roadless Rule,” despite the American public’s broad-based support for the policy. The Administration revoked protection from 9 million roadless acres in the Tongass National Forest, threatening key steelhead and salmon habitat.

During the public comment process, nearly a quarter million Americans wrote the Forest Service in opposition to this policy change. In addition, over 450 rod and gun clubs, many members of which are life-long Republicans, petitioned the Administration in support of roadless protection in the Tongass. Despite the legions of opposition and only 2,000 letters of support, the Administration opened this priceless wildlife habitat to unnecessary exploitation.

The Administration continues to threaten roadless areas in the lower 48 states, against the wishes of the American public. It is important that hunters and anglers work to ensure these backcountry treasures aren’t taken for granted by our elected officials.

The Department of Agriculture has asked the governors of each state containing designated roadless National Forest for input on backcountry protection. The governors have until mid-November to submit a petition that requests certain lands keep their roadless designation. The Administration doesn’t necessarily need to listen to these local requests, but hopefully they will take the advice seriously. TU’s Roadless Organizers have been working hard to raise awareness about this issue amongst anglers and hunters in the Rocky Mountains, to ensure our voice is heard in this petition process.

Roads dramatically diminish habitat quality for wildlife, including threatened and endangered species and popular game animals. Roads provide easy access for invasive species, cause erosion that damages water systems, and fragment habitat. Roadless areas provide strongholds for elk, bull trout, cutthroat trout, and other important game species. In addition to being wildlife havens, our roadless areas are vestiges of the past, places where we can get away from it all. They offer the best places to hunt, fish, and camp.

Furthermore, the Forest Service’s road maintenance budget is insufficient for the agency to maintain the roads that have already been built. National Forests are closing roads from coast to coast because they are no longer needed for natural resource extraction and it is so costly to maintain them. Building new roads in remote areas when we can’t maintain the existing network is economically unsound. Why would anyone want to waste taxpayers’ money on additional roads that will damage our most precious natural treasures?

Well few people do. Tom told me the most pleasant surprise of his job so far has been the overwhelming support for the cause. Backcountry conservation is an easy sell, even in the most conservative circles of the northern Rockies.

A great example is the Wyoming Range, prime cutthroat trout and mule deer habitat in Western Wyoming. Energy companies want more roads in these mountains to facilitate oil and gas extraction. However, even the local AFL-CIO is opposed to road construction in this amazing backcountry.

As Tom puts it, folks who live in the Rocky Mountains do so for the outdoor opportunities. Even the guys who make their living working on gas lines and in trona mines want our remaining backcountry areas preserved so they can visit these places to hunt, fish, and camp. I think all hunters and anglers can agree that we don’t need 18-wheeled oil tankers driving through our backcountry so some energy company executive can afford another yacht.

Tom and I chose a beautiful day to explore the Hidden Lakes. The sky was a vibrant blue, accentuating the high country snow and the green forest. On our hike, we encountered folks of all ages and recreational interests, each of whom was enjoying a day on our public lands.

After taking a wrong turn and exploring a fish-less lake, we found a deep pond that held some nice goldens. The trout weren’t easy. They would swim 30 feet to look at a nymph and then refuse to take. I was able to tempt one 11 inch male with a scud. This golden, in full spawning regalia, was a nice bonus to a great day in the woods.

I look forward to sharing my experiences in roadless areas throughout the West with you. I hope you will take the time to read about roadless protection through these links:

Where the Wild Lands Are: Wyoming (note: this is a big file)
TU’s Roadless Homepage

Also, please take a look at my photos HERE.