Overview

• The proposed repeal would apply to roughly 44–45 million acres of inventoried roadless areas, with Colorado and Idaho unaffected due to their state-specific rules.
• Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins said the change would restore local decision-making, improve wildfire response, and bolster rural economies.
• Environmental and tribal groups, including Earthjustice and the Alaska Wilderness League, pledged legal challenges and warned of harm to wildlife habitat and drinking-water sources, with particular concern for Alaska’s Tongass National Forest.
• The Forest Service plans to publish the notice on Friday, which formally launches the 21-day public comment period running through Sept. 19.
• Reported areas that could be opened include about 4.4 million acres in California, nearly 2 million acres in Oregon, and roughly 4,000 acres in Texas’ Sam Houston National Forest.