Protecting roadless lands protects our future

The wild forests and clear waters of the upper Great Lakes region are the lifeblood of our people. These places ground us, feed us, and connect us across generations. For generations, the St. Croix Chippewa Tribe has been a caretaker of these lands, doing our part to protect the clean water, wildlife, and sacred spaces that make us who we are.

We are stewards — people who care deeply for the land and water, just as our ancestors did. Earlier this year, our community gathered on the shores of Clam Lake to return the first young lake sturgeon ever raised in our hatchery back to these waters. Moments like that fill us with hope — a living connection between our past and the future yet to come. Restoration means more than science or policy; it’s about love and respect for all life around us and ensuring our grandchildren can do the same.

Today, these lands face a serious threat: the Trump Administration’s attempt to repeal the Roadless Rule. For over 25 years, this rule has protected nearly 60 million acres of national forest from destructive road-building and industrial-scale logging while preserving access for recreation, subsistence, and cultural practices. Across the country, Roadless Areas remain the last strongholds of wild forest — places where headwaters feed our rivers, wildlife find refuge, and generations come to hunt, fish, and reconnect with the land.

I first heard about the Administration’s plan to rescind the Roadless Rule while attending the National Congress of American Indians’ convention in Seattle. Tribal leaders from across the country shared the same concern: this rollback isn’t just bad policy — it’s a direct violation of treaty rights, trust, and federal law. Our ancestors gave up land and so much more to secure treaties that protect our rights to hunt, fish, and gather in these territories.

In Wisconsin, the Roadless Rule safeguards 70,000 acres in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. Some might see that as a small number, but for us, every undeveloped acre is a living memory, a promise kept. These are the places where our harvesters return each year, where ceremonies are held, and where our children learn what it means to belong to this land. Losing even a fraction is losing a piece of ourselves.

This policy is about more than trees. It is about protecting ecosystems, wildlife, and climate resilience. Forests are natural filters, keeping water clean for everyone. As a changing climate brings more intense storms, resilient, unfragmented lands are essential buffers. Repealing this policy would benefit a few companies in the short-term while causing long-term harm — fragmenting habitats, polluting waterways, increasing wildfire risk, and accelerating climate change. It would ravage streams and forests our people depend on for fishing, hunting, and gathering.

The damage would be irreversible. New roads and logging would destroy ecosystems, cultural sites, and the stories that tie us to these lands. These forests are not ours alone; they are part of our heritage — a gift for all to share. Sacrificing them for short-term gain is to forget what we owe future generations.

Repealing the Roadless Rule is not just an environmental issue — it’s also a moral and legal one. It’s about honoring treaties, respecting sovereignty, and safeguarding the ecosystems that sustain us all. These rights are not negotiable; they connect us to our original ways of living. That’s why tribal leaders across the country stand united in opposition to this attack on our most prized resources.

Weakening the Roadless Rule would threaten irreplaceable habitat and erode the rights and responsibilities that bind us to the land and to one another. In this pivotal moment, we must rally around our shared values and take action to defend what truly matters — not just for ourselves, but for all those who will follow in our footsteps.

Protecting Roadless Areas is an act of faith — with Tribal Nations, our ancestors, and those not yet born. These forests reveal the strength that comes from choosing respect and stewardship over short-sighted gain. Stretching across these lands, Roadless Areas are sanctuaries for clean water, abundant wildlife, and the traditions that shape our identity. Keeping them whole honors our enduring bonds and secures resilience for the generations that will follow.

Conrad St. John is Chairman of the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin, where he leads efforts to protect treaty rights, revitalize cultural traditions, and steward the Tribe’s natural resources. Elected by his peers in 2025, he previously served as the Tribe’s Treaty Rights Coordinator.