'Roadless Rule' Repeal Would Affect 2M Acres of Washington Forest Land
The proposal would open 59 million acres to logging and road building, while opponents warn it could raise wildfire risk and costs.
- On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture filed a proposal to rescind the Roadless Rule in its entirety, eliminating protections for 59 million acres of National Forest land from logging and road construction.
- USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins claims the move restores authority to local forest managers, removing barriers to wildfire risk reduction, though environmentalists remain skeptical of these justifications.
- Forest Service research indicates roads are major sources of wildfire ignitions, with fires four times more likely near them; scientists mapped 26 years of ignitions showing roadless areas protect watersheds supplying 47 million Americans.
- Critics, including California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot and Rep. Jared Huffman, blasted the move as a gift to the logging industry, noting zero public hearings before the September 21 deadline.
- If finalized in 2026, the rollback threatens watersheds supplying water to 47 million Americans, with conservationists warning that fragmenting largely intact ecosystems could cause irreversible damage to habitats and outdoor recreation.
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Let People Use America’s National Forests – The American Spectator | USA News and Politics
On August 18 the Trump administration shocked some ostensible environmentalists by announcing that it planned to open almost 45 million acres in the nation’s national forests to logging. The action would reverse a 25-year-old Clinton administration “roadless rule” that was aimed at preserving the “wild” nature of forest land. Having previously stripped such prohibitions from Alaska’s Tongass National Forest, only to see the Biden administration …
Feds Moving at Full Throttle to Reverse Roadless Rule Protecting National Forests
A public comment period is now open on the proposed rule change that would allow logging and roadbuilding on National Forest land — including 635,000 acres of Los Padres National Forest. The post Feds Moving at Full Throttle to Reverse Roadless Rule Protecting National Forests appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.
New Mexico wildlife experts share insight on 'Roadless Rule' being repealed
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – More areas in national forests could soon be opened up for road construction. This is because the Department of Agriculture is now moving forward to reverse the so-called “Roadless Rule.” The Trump administration is wanting to change the rule that has been in effect for 25 years. This means forests could [...]
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