PCT Association opposes H.R.7695, cites 231 miles

The Pacific Crest Trail Association used a May 19 call to action to warn hikers and supporters that a House bill, H.R. 7695, would wipe out federal roadless-area protections that the group says cover 231 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail. The association said those miles run through 71 inventoried roadless areas along the trail. It also said the bill would help advance a broader push to undo the 2001 Roadless Rule, which protects roughly 45 million acres of National Forest lands. ### What exactly did the trail group ask people to do? The Pacific Crest Trail Association on May 19 told supporters to contact members of Congress and oppose H.R. 7695. In its post, the group described the measure as a bill “to cancel Roadless Area protections for 45 million acres of National Forests.” (pcta.org) Mark Larabee, the author of the post on the association’s site, wrote that the measure would “nullify” the 2001 Roadless Rule. The group linked the bill fight to trail protection, saying roadless areas along the Pacific Crest Trail help keep sections of the route undeveloped. (pcta.org) ### Where does the 231-mile figure come from? The association said 71 inventoried roadless areas along the Pacific Crest Trail protect 231 miles of the route, or about 9% of the full trail. The same figures also appeared in earlier PCTA posts from 2025 discussing the administration’s effort to rescind the Roadless Rule. (pcta.org) PCTA said those areas do more than keep roads out. Its May 19 post said the roadless sections “provide ecological integrity for wildlife” and support clean air, water and recreation economies, though those characterizations are the group’s advocacy position rather than language from the bill text itself. (pcta.org) ### What does H.R. 7695 say? H.R. 7695 was introduced in the House on February 25, 2026. The bill text says the 2001 rule titled “Special Areas; Roadless Area Conservation” would “have no force or effect” and also directs the Secretary of Agriculture to construct certain roads on National Forest System lands. (pcta.org) Congress.gov and GovTrack both identify Representative Harriet Hageman of Wyoming as the sponsor. The introduced bill text names additional original co-sponsors, including Representatives Troy Downing, Celeste Maloy and Pete Stauber. ### What is the Roadless Rule the bill targets? The U.S. Forest Service says the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule barred road construction and reconstruction in most inventoried roadless areas and set procedures for evaluating roadless characteristics. (congress.gov) Those areas span about 44.7 million to 45 million acres, depending on how agencies and advocates round the figure. The PCTA has tied that federal rule directly to the Pacific Crest Trail because parts of the route cross national forest land covered by those protections. In a 2025 post, the group said ending the rule could open some of those landscapes to roadbuilding tied to logging, mining and oil development. (fs.usda.gov) ### Is this only about one bill? The Trump administration’s roadless-policy push predates the May 19 PCTA alert. A Federal Register notice published in August 2025 said the Department of Agriculture had begun an environmental impact statement and rulemaking process to rescind the 2001 Roadless Rule. (pcta.org) PCTA said this month that stopping the proposed rollback remained one of its Washington priorities during recent meetings with lawmakers. The association’s May 19 post presents H.R. 7695 as part of that broader fight, not as a standalone dispute. ### What happens next? (federalregister.gov) Congress.gov shows H.R. 7695 as introduced in the 119th Congress after its February 25 filing. The Pacific Crest Trail Association’s next public step, according to its May 19 post, is continued outreach urging supporters to contact lawmakers through its action page. (congress.gov) (pcta.org)