This summer U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced during a meeting of the Western Governors’ Association in New Mexico, that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is rescinding the 2001 Roadless Rule.
Just days prior to the announcement by USDA, a coalition of Democratic members in Congress from western states, announced a renewed push to enshrine the U.S. Forest Service’s Roadless Rule protections into law.
Joining the Exchange to discuss the issue are Congressmember Andrea Salinas (OR-6) and Haleigh Martin, Communications Manager for KS Wild.
In a press release the Democratic coalition wrote:
"For nearly a quarter century, the Roadless Rule has shielded 58.5 million acres of the most pristine and treasured areas within the National Forest System from roadbuilding and logging. The Roadless Area Conservation Act would codify the 2001 Roadless Rule, which was developed by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) during the Clinton Administration and finalized after several years of deliberation and 600 public meetings in local communities nationwide.
“On day one, Donald Trump announced his intention to roll back bedrock environmental protections that are critical to the responsible stewardship of America’s natural resources,” said Rep. Andrea Salinas (OR-06).
“The Roadless Area Conservation Act will ensure that longstanding, commonsense rules remain in place to protect untouched national forests without jeopardizing wildfire prevention and response.”
The USDA also released a press release that read:
"This outdated administrative rule contradicts the will of Congress and goes against the mandate of the USDA Forest Service to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation's forests and grasslands. Rescinding this rule will remove prohibitions on road construction, reconstruction, and timber harvest on nearly 59 million acres of the National Forest System, allowing for fire prevention and responsible timber production.
"This rule is overly restrictive and poses real harm to millions of acres of our national forests. In total, 30% of National Forest System lands are impacted by this rule. For example, nearly 60% of forest service land in Utah is restricted from road development and is unable to be properly managed for fire risk. In Montana, it is 58%, and in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest, the largest in the country, 92% is impacted. This also hurts jobs and economic development across rural America. Utah alone estimates the roadless rule alone creates a 25% decrease in economic development in the forestry sector."
The JX invited the U.S. Forest Service to join the conversation along with Rep. Andrea Salinas and Haleigh Martin, Communications Manager at KS Wild. The Service responded:
"Secretary Rollins’ announcement marks the next step in rescinding the 2001 Roadless Rule — a decision that reflects the Department’s commitment to President Trump’s executive actions to expand American timber production and unleash American energy. Rescinding this overly prescriptive rule will give federal foresters and land managers the latitude to work alongside the communities they serve to make locally driven land management decisions based on their unique local conditions -- reducing wildfire risk, protecting infrastructure, and keeping forests healthy.
"Repealing the Roadless Rule is more important than ever because 24.5 million acres of the Wildland Urban Interface, where forests meet communities, are either in roadless areas or within a mile of roadless – making increased access a major public safety issue.
"Roads improve access for wildland firefighting when timing is critical, and lives are at risk. As the Secretary stated, the lack of maintenance and access have frustrated land managers for years, including firefighters who haven’t been able to reach fires in time to slow their spread.
"As Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz recently wrote: 'The forests we see today are not the same as the forests of 2001. They are dangerously overstocked and increasingly threatened by drought, insect-born disease, and wildfire. Currently, nearly half of our roadless acres – over 28 million – are at high or very high risk of catastrophic wildfire and are in desperate need of treatment. I applaud Secretary Rollins for taking decisive action to provide us with the tools and decision space we need to truly care for our forests and, in turn, protect the people and communities we serve.'
The public is invited to comment on the potential effects of the proposal to guide the development of the environmental impact statement no later than Sept. 19, 2025.
U.S. Forest Service, Region 6 Office of Communications and Community Engagement (Portland, OR)
USDA has provided an opportunity for public comment until Sept 19.
