The Forest Service needs to make sure these roads are safe for public and agency use and that they are not causing environmental damage due to inadequate maintenance. Benefits and Costs of Roads Most of the roads in the National Forest System were originally constructed to access timber, but now support many other purposes. Roads in forested areas allow access for the application of scientifically based forest practices designed to maintain or enhance the health of forest ecosystems. Roads provide access for recreation, rural travel, fighting forest fires, and controlling outbreaks of pests and diseases. Roads also provide people with access to commodities, such as timber, oil, natural gas, minerals, livestock grazing, and special forest products.
Roads represent an environmental challenge.
Drainage from roads and their associated features can cause erosion and reduce water quality. The challenges roads present can be overcome through proper design, construction, use, and maintenance. The Purpose of Roads in the National Forest System Under the National Forest Management Act, the Forest Service must develop a management plan for each unit of the National Forest System. Roads in the National Forest System are important for all these purposes, but increasingly for recreation access. More people visit the national forests than the national parks by at least a factor of two.