Roadless Area Conservation Rule Brings $24 Billion in Benefits
The 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule conserves a total of 58.5 million acres of largely undeveloped, road-free national forest lands—called inventoried roadless areas—from road construction and timber harvesting.
Through an initial economic analysis of ecosystem services, Earth Economics found that 30 million of these acres across the contiguous United States generate $24 billion in benefits every year.
This high‑level, national analysis translates the benefits of roadless areas into clear economic terms and serves as a foundation for organizations seeking more detailed state or regional analyses that incorporate local data for greater precision and relevance.
Ecosystem Services of Greatest Value
Explore state-by-state data
Break down the national-level data by Congressional Districts, explore the primary landcover types, and compare data across states through this interactive dashboard.
NOTE: The state-by-state results are conservative, high-level estimates—they can be used to inform discussions about policy, but should not be used to influence location-specific policy decisions. They are intended to demonstrate the scale of ecosystem service benefits of roadless areas as well as the type of analysis that is possible in support of reducing risk and extending the benefits of nature. For organizations seeking more detailed or place‑specific results, Earth Economics can apply this approach using local data to develop more precise analyses.
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Apply this analysis at the state-level
This analysis is designed to help conservation organizations and public agencies understand the impact of changes to Roadless Rule policies in clear economic terms. By putting dollar values on the benefits provided by these ecosystem services, we make it easy to understand what’s at stake and use defensible research to educate decision makers.
This assessment is intentionally high level, offering a consistent, nationwide view of ecosystem service benefits. Organizations seeking more detailed insight—such as state‑specific estimates or place‑based analyses—can work with Earth Economics to develop tailored studies that incorporate local data, increasing the precision and relevance of results.
Get in touch to see how our analysis may be right for you. Send us a note at info@eartheconomics.org.