Approximately 90% of the U.S. population relies on public water systems. A significant portion of the water supplying those systems comes from forested lands, which means that policies impacting forests also impact our water access. In 2001, the Clinton administration passed the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, blocking 60 million acres of national forest land from development to limit industrial timber harvest and preserve forest ecosystems. Although popular with the public, the roadless rule drew immediate criticism from timber and related industries. Read More: University of WashingtonA historic fire lookout in Utah’s Ashley National Forest.