From Roadless to Regeneration: What Opening 400K Acres Could Mean for the Region
Roads like this one in the Stillaguamish Watershed allow access to thin out forests (right side) that have been overcrowded for decades (left side).
In late June, the U.S. Forest Service proposed lifting Roadless Rule protections from approximately 400,000 acres in the Mt. Baker–Snoqualmie National Forest—a decision that would restore the ability to build roads and conduct timber harvests in some of the most densely forested terrain in the region. It’s a policy shift drawing national attention and local scrutiny, especially from those who depend on these forests for water, wildlife, recreation, and livelihoods.
At Janicki Logging Co., we view this potential change not as an opening for indiscriminate logging, but as a long-overdue opportunity to restore access for responsible management—access that could help protect communities, improve ecological health, and even support the return of salmon to headwater streams.
“The public thinks roadless areas are untouched and pristine,” said David Janicki in a recent interview with Cascadia Daily News. “But they’re not. A lot of them were harvested long ago and never managed after that. We see forest conditions that are worse now than if a second harvest cycle had taken place with thinning in between.”
Read the full article: 400K acres in Mt. Baker–Snoqualmie Forest could open to road construction, logging – Cascadia Daily
A Forest in Need of Care
The 400,000 acres identified by the Forest Service span remote sections of national forestland in Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, and King Counties. These areas include headwaters of the Nooksack, Skagit, Stillaguamish, and Snoqualmie Rivers—watersheds critical not just to people, but to salmon, bears, raptors, and old-growth-dependent species.
While the Roadless Rule was created in 2001 to protect wild areas from overdevelopment, it has also restricted access to overstocked, disease-prone stands that haven’t seen active management in decades. Without roads, land managers are often unable to conduct thinning operations or reach wildfires before they spread out of control. And as wildfire seasons grow longer and more severe, that inaccessibility has become a growing liability.
Why Roads Matter—When Done Right
Newly fish passage in the Mt. Baker–Snoqualmie National Forest - installed by Janicki Logging.
Modern forest roads aren’t what they used to be. Today, low-impact access routes are engineered with runoff controls, erosion protection, and native material reuse. And in the Pacific Northwest, road work increasingly includes stream restoration and fish passage improvements—areas where Janicki Logging has a direct track record.
We’ve completed stream barrier removals and fish-friendly culvert replacements for the U.S. Forest Service, and served as the excavation subcontractor for the Middle Fork Nooksack River dam removal project, a milestone effort to reopen more than 16 miles of critical upstream salmon habitat. Forest access done thoughtfully doesn’t just reduce fuel loads and improve public safety—it can help restore the ecological function of entire watersheds.
“Access and restoration go hand in hand,” David Janicki explained. “If we can’t reach the problem areas, we can’t fix them. But if we build smart access with wildlife and fish in mind, we can do a lot of good for the forest—and for the communities who rely on it.”
A Better Way to Manage
Opening access doesn’t mean opening the floodgates. In fact, the Forest Service has made it clear that any newly accessible areas would still be subject to environmental review, site-specific planning, and restoration-oriented treatment goals.
At Janicki Logging Co., we’re well-prepared to support that kind of work. Our approach prioritizes ecological integrity while meeting the operational demands of restoration:
Selective thinning that reduces competition and wildfire risk without harming canopy structure
Sensitive slope work using low-ground-pressure equipment
Collaboration with tribes, agencies, and local stakeholders to meet both conservation and community objectives
Post-project restoration including decommissioning unneeded roads, replanting, and monitoring
This is the model we’ve applied in places like the Mountain Loop Highway corridor and the Trillium Community Forest—and it’s a model that can serve the Mt. Baker–Snoqualmie well.
What’s Next
The proposed change is still undergoing environmental review, with a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) expected in 2026. During that time, the Forest Service will be seeking input from the public, tribal governments, and landowners.
We encourage everyone who depends on healthy forests—whether for water, wildlife, wood products, or weekend hikes—to get involved in that process. Because access alone doesn’t define the future of these lands. How we use it does.
At Janicki Logging Co., we’re committed to making sure that access supports restoration, not exploitation. We’ve seen what’s possible when forests are managed for resilience—and we’re ready to be part of that solution.
