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3mo ago

Trump Administration Moves to Rescind 2001 Roadless Rule, Opening 59 Million Acres

Formal notice of the rollback will be published in coming weeks, triggering expected legal battles over federal forest management.

The Eagle Roadless Area borders the Emigrant Wilderness in the Stanislaus National Forest. The area is one many that would lose protections with the proposed repeal of the Roadless Area Conservation Rule.
The Eagle Roadless Area is part of California’s Stanislaus National Forest.
FILE - A view of the wilderness in Misty Fjords National Monument, part of the Tongass National Forest, on July 11, 2012, on a lake about 45 nautical miles from Ketchikan, Alaska.

Overview

  • Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the decision on June 23 at a Western Governors’ Association meeting in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
  • The action removes federal bans on road construction and timber harvest established by the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule across roughly 58.5 million acres of national forests.
  • Colorado’s 4.2 million roadless acres and Idaho’s separately petitioned forest areas will remain protected under distinct state agreements approved by the U.S. Forest Service.
  • Supporters say lifting the rule will improve wildfire mitigation and boost rural timber economies by allowing more active forest management.
  • Conservation organizations including the Sierra Club and Center for Biological Diversity plan to file lawsuits after the USDA issues a formal repeal notice.