Conservation elders urge letters to Congress as roadless‑rule threats loom

At the workshop, Montana Conservation Elders leaders framed current federal policy debates as a call to civic action for educators and citizens. The group's president urged attendees to write letters to their congressional delegations about threats to the roadless rule and other protections for public lands.

"Please, consider if you've not already done to write letters to our congressional delegation about the threats that we're dealing with as far as the ... roadless rule," the Montana Conservation Elders president told the room, urging grassroots engagement.

Speakers connected the advocacy ask to concrete examples: participants discussed how wilderness designations and cultural protections have in specific cases affected energy leases and local management. Organizers said the workshop is meant to translate that advocacy history into classroom stories and civic lessons.