Download National Datasets

Data collected and managed by Forest Service programs is available in a map service and two downloadable file formats – in a shape file and an ESRI file geodatabase. Metadata is available that describes the content, source, and currency of the data. You can filter the list by the topic categories in the menu at the left to help you find information you are interested in. You can view the feature classes in a single dataset by clicking on the name of the parent dataset at the bottom of the abstract.

Shapefile Limitation Warning:
The Enterprise Data Warehouse Team has identified certain technical limitations of shapefiles which make them not suitable for all datasets within this clearinghouse. Due to file size limits as well as attribute name length and field length restrictions leading to inevitable data loss, the EDW Team is unable to support shapefile exports for larger datasets. There are other methods to accessing this data in addition to the Esri File Geodatabase (FGDB) including the map service or the Geospatial Data Discovery Tool.

Requests for KML/KMZ output
The Enterprise Data Warehouse Team tested exporting out to KML/KMZ files as a deliverable and due to the complexity and size of the datasets this has been unsuccessful. To obtain a KML file for any EDW dataset, go to the Geospatial Data Discovery Tool and search for the dataset. An option to download to KML is available from that website. If you have questions, contact: SM.FS.data@usda.gov.
 

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Feature Classes Abstract

Roadless Areas: 2001 Roadless Rule

S_USA.RoadlessArea_2001

ESRI geodatabase  (20MB)
shape file  (41MB)

Themes: national inventoried roadless areas

Date of last refresh: Oct 3, 2023

This dataset is the official data for the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule (36 CFR 294, Subpart B). It contains the Inventoried Roadless Areas (IRAs) designated by the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule and used in the associated Final Environmental Impact Statement. The EIS analysis team used this spatial data to assess the impacts of roadless area alternatives on Forest Service policies, use of the National Forests and the surrounding environment. It was used for analysis in combination with national characterization layers, such as ambient human population, forest mortality risk to insects and diseases, current land cover types, and others. All of these datasets include the entire lower 48 states and Alaska, and are coarse resolution. The public also had a need to know where IRAs were located in their area and across the nation. The data was used to create a set of detailed maps published both on the web and in hard copy form, (Volume2, Roadless Area Conservation EIS). NOTE 1: The attribute descriptions are based on forest plan direction prior to adoption of the Roadless Rule. This information is displayed for historical reference. However, the Roadless Rule prohibits road construction in all IRAs, regardless of the attribute descriptions. NOTE 2: Idaho and Colorado have adopted state-specific roadless rules. The Idaho and Colorado Roadless Areas boundaries, represented in separate datasets, supersede the 2001 Roadless Area Boundaries.

Purpose:
This dataset is the official data for the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule (36 CFR 294, Subpart B). It contains the Inventoried Roadless Areas (IRAs) designated by the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule and used in the associated Final Environmental Impact Statement. The EIS analysis team used this spatial data to assess the impacts of roadless area alternatives on Forest Service policies, use of the National Forests and the surrounding environment. It was used for analysis in combination with national characterization layers, such as ambient human population, forest mortality risk to insects and diseases, current land cover types, and others. All of these datasets include the entire lower 48 states and Alaska, and are coarse resolution. The public also had a need to know where IRAs were located in their area and across the nation. The data was used to create a set of detailed maps published both on the web and in hard copy form, (Volume2, Roadless Area Conservation EIS). NOTE 1: The attribute descriptions are based on forest plan direction prior to adoption of the Roadless Rule. This information is displayed for historical reference. However, the Roadless Rule prohibits road construction in all IRAs, regardless of the attribute descriptions. NOTE 2: Idaho and Colorado have adopted state-specific roadless rules. The Idaho and Colorado Roadless Areas boundaries, represented in separate datasets, supersede the 2001 Roadless Area Boundaries.
parent dataset: RoadlessArea

Roadless Areas: 2001, Idaho, and Colorado Rules Combined

S_USA.RoadlessArea_2001_ID_CO

ESRI geodatabase  (20MB)
shape file  (43MB)

Themes: roadless rule, inventoried roadless area, idaho, colorado roadless rule, roadless area conservation rule, roadless area, roadless

Date of last refresh: Oct 3, 2023

The RoadlessArea_2001_ID_CO feature class describes the boundaries of all Roadless Areas managed by the U.S. Forest Service. These roadless areas were designated by administrative rule making to provide management direction for their conservation and management. The RoadlessArea Conservation Rule of 2001 designated roadless areas nationwide. Subsequent rules, the Idaho Roadless Rule of 2008, and the Colorado Roadless Rule of 2012 replaced that direction and designation in the states of Idaho and Colorado. The Roadless Area_2001_ID_CO includes the current roadless area boundaries from all three rules and excludes roadless areas which have been superseded by a subsequent rule.

Purpose:
The RoadlessArea_2001_ID_CO feature class describes the boundaries of all Roadless Areas managed by the U.S. Forest Service so that agency personnel and the United States public can understand where management direction for the conservation and management of all areas with-in Forest Service lands that are designated for roadless area management applies.
parent dataset: RoadlessArea

Roadless Areas: Colorado Roadless Rule

S_USA.RoadlessArea_CO_2012

ESRI geodatabase  (5MB)
shape file  (12MB)

Themes: inventoried roadless areas, colorado roadless rule, roadless area

Date of last refresh: May 31, 2022

This feature class describes the boundaries of Roadless Areas designated by the Colorado Roadless Rule of 2012 and managed by the U.S. Forest Service. These roadless areas were designated by administrative rulemaking to provide management direction for conservation of roadless area characteristics while addressing Colorado specific concerns. These roadless area designations supersede the roadless areas designated by the Roadless Area Conservation Rule of 2001 for Colorado. Upper tier areas are a subset of Colorado Roadless Areas which have limited exceptions to provide a high level of protection. The North Fork Coal Mining area is a subset of Colorado Roadless Areas which has an exception for coal mining related activities.

Purpose:
This feature class describes the boundaries of Roadless Areas designated by the Colorado Roadless Rule of 2012 and managed by the U.S. Forest Service. These roadless areas were designated by administrative rulemaking to provide management direction for conservation of roadless area characteristics while addressing Colorado specific concerns. These roadless area designations supersede the roadless areas designated by the Roadless Area Conservation Rule of 2001 for Colorado.
parent dataset: RoadlessArea

Roadless Areas: Idaho Roadless Rule

S_USA.RoadlessArea_ID_2008

ESRI geodatabase  (5MB)
shape file  (10MB)

Themes: kootenai national forest, caribou national forest, sawtooth national forest, payette national forest, idaho, challis national forest, clearwater national forest, boise national forest, targhee national forest, wallowa-whitman national forest, idaho roadless area boundaries, salmon national forest, idaho panhandle national forest

Date of last refresh: May 31, 2022

The RoadlessArea_ID_2008 feature class describes the boundaries of Roadless Areas designated by the Idaho Roadless Rule of 2008 and managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The final rule reflects the views and concerns of thousands of people who expressed interest during the rule-making process, which ran from October 2006 to October 2008. The public comment period generated 38,000 comments. The Idaho Roadless Rule takes a balanced approach, recognizing both local and national interests. Five management themes have been established (and are identified in the MgmtClassification attribute) that provide prohibitions, with exceptions or conditioned permissions, governing timber cutting, removing and selling, road construction and reconstruction, and certain mineral activities. These management themes are: Wild Land Recreation, Special Areas of Historic or Tribal Significance, Primitive, Backcountry Restoration, and General Forest, Rangeland, and Grassland. Each theme provides management direction that varies from most restrictive to least restrictive and provides roadless character that varies from higher quality to lower quality. Forest Plan Special Areas are also identified, where management of the area is according to Forest Plan direction, not the Idaho Roadless Rule. These special areas include items such as wild and scenic river corridors, research natural areas, etc. This dataset is a compilation of the most up to date Roadless areas from the National Forests in Idaho. This dataset was compiled by taking the roadless area boundaries from each of the National Forests in Idaho and adding the management area prescription boundaries from each forest. For some forests both the existing forest plan management prescription layer and a "proposed" prescriptions boundaries were used. See the list of these Forests in the metadata for the each forest. Date of last update Date of last update is captured in the Lineage section.

Purpose:
The RoadlessArea_ID_2008 feature class describes the boundaries of Roadless Areas designated by the Idaho Roadless Rule of 2008 and managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The Idaho Roadless Rule provides management direction for conserving and managing approximately 9.3 million acres of Idaho Roadless Areas on National Forest System lands and replaces the roadless areas identified in the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. The Chief of the Forest Service may modify or make administrative corrections to the boundaries of any Idaho Roadless Areas after public notice and comment and coordination with the state. This data reflects the selected alternative of the Idaho Roadless Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS).
parent dataset: RoadlessArea