US Moves to Repeal 25-Year Forest Roadless Rule
- On Tuesday, the Trump administration advanced a formal proposal to rescind the 25-year-old Roadless Rule, continuing a plan unveiled last year to open more than 44 million acres of national forestland to road construction and timber harvesting.
- Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the repeal aims to "restore authority" to local forest managers, arguing that "outdated restrictions" have prevented essential treatments like removing fire-prone dead timber.
- The administration projects the plan could generate $5.2 million to $11.4 million in federal revenues, though officials acknowledge economic benefits face tempering by a $6.9 billion deferred maintenance backlog for roads and bridges.
- U.S. Forest Service analysis warns the proposal could lead to increased ignitions, as research shows wildfire ignition density is highest within 50 meters of roads, contradicting administration claims.
- Following last year's unpopular notice that drew more than 600,000 public comments, the proposal now opens a 30-day public comment period with a final deadline of September 21.
290 Articles
290 Articles
Trump moves to end protections for national forest land
ASHEVILLE — The U.S. Forest Service has initiated the process of rolling back protections that prevented logging and construction across 45 million acres of national forests, including forests near major North Carolina hotspots like Craggy Mountain, Mount Mitchell and Graveyard…
Oil City News
Trump administration plan could bring new roads to pristine woods covering 4% of Wyoming
by Angus M. Thuermer Jr., WyoFile The Trump administration unveiled a plan Wednesday to build more roads in pristine national forests, releasing figures that show near-term construction of new motorized networks would be possible across almost 4% of Wyoming, an area the size of the entire Shoshone National Forest. The plan – which rescinds the 2001 […]
Trump Moves to End Clinton-Era Logging Ban in Forests
The USDA filed a proposed rule to scrap the 25-year-old Roadless Area Conservation Rule on nearly 45 million acres of federal forest land, a move the administration calls essential to fighting wildfires but environmentalists vow to challenge in court. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz framed the proposal as an overdue correction to a Clinton-era regulation that has left tens of millions of acres of nationa…
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