In its petition to the Forest Service, Utah argues that the lack of roads and prohibitions on timber harvesting have impeded the agency’s ability to manage forests to reduce wildfires, improve wildlife habitat and combat infestations by insects or invasive species. These claims are without merit.

Let’s consider the wildfire threat. It’s absolutely a concern. The effects of climate change, including prolonged droughts and unnaturally intense wildfires, are drastically reshaping landscapes across the West. But building new roads for access into the backcountry will only make the problem worse. People cause most wildfires, and roads will only increase the chance for fires. From 2000 to 2015 , four times as many wildfires were started along roads in Utah as in remote national forests, according to an analysis of government data by the Wilderness Society.

The areas requiring attention most are forests with roads and lands near the urban wildland interface. If we are going to succeed in reducing wildfire threats to homes and communities, state and local officials should focus on removing brush, deadfall and other wildfire accelerants, and thinning forests, near populated areas. Home and business owners in fire-prone areas must also keep their properties clear of vegetation that could easily ignite. These are proven strategies recommended by the National Fire Protection Association in its Firewise USA program, co-sponsored by the Forest Service, the Interior Department and the National Association of State Foresters.

The roadless rule already allows for fuel reduction to reduce wildfire risk and for access to private property, mineral claims and oil and gas leases. For instance, the Forest Service approved the cutting and sale of beetle-infested spruce trees on 19,000 acres in several Utah roadless areas and road access in another roadless area to a phosphate mine. Those were among 23 requests approved by the Forest Service in 2017 and 2018 for timber harvesting or road construction in roadless areas in Utah.

Building more roads will only add to the Forest Service’s multibillion-dollar maintenance backlog around the country. The Forest Service has already approved $340 million in projects to improve forest health, reduce fire hazards and provide local jobs on 1.3 million acres on areas that have roads or are roadless in national forest land in Utah. All that’s needed are the funds from Congress to move ahead with those and other projects.