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59 Million Acres of National Forests Opened Up for Logging
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced it is rescinding the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, removing longstanding federal protections that barred road construction and logging on nearly 59 million acres of national forest land.
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced the decision at a meeting of the Western Governors' Association in Santa Fe, New Mexico on Monday.
The move will end over two decades of restrictions, immediately permitting road building and timber harvest in undeveloped stretches of federal forests—including vast tracts in Alaska, Utah and Montana.
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, center, announced during a meeting of the Western Governors' Association in Santa Fe on June 23, that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is rescinding the 2001 Roadless Rule.
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, center, announced during a meeting of the Western Governors' Association in Santa Fe on June 23, that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is rescinding the 2001 Roadless Rule.
USDA
Why It Matters
The elimination of the rule will affect almost 30 percent of all National Forest System lands, with critics warning of harm to wildlife, water quality and habitats. Supporters, including several Western state officials, said lifting the restrictions would improve wildfire management and boost rural economies.
The decision reflected broader Trump administration efforts to promote domestic resource extraction and deregulation.
What To Know
The Roadless Area Conservation Rule, enacted in 2001, had prohibited road construction and timber harvest on approximately 58.5 million acres of designated "roadless" national forests. The USDA called the rule "outdated" and argued that it contradicted Congressional intent and limited forest managers' ability to address threats like wildfire.
The USDA stated that nearly 60 percent of Utah's national forest lands, 58 percent of Montana's, and 92 percent of Alaska's Tongass National Forest had been subject to Roadless Rule protections, inhibiting what the agency described as "properly managed" forest activity, such as fire prevention and responsible timber production.
Rollins said the rule posed "real harm" to millions of forest acres and claimed it resulted in a 25 percent decrease in forestry sector economic development in Utah, according to the state's own estimate. She further argued that the change would open "a new era of consistency and sustainability" for forest management, with local managers making "the best decisions to protect people, communities, and resources based on their unique local conditions."
Environmental organizations denounced the rollback, warning that it exposed nearly 60 million acres of wildlands—some of the nation's largest roadless and old-growth forests—to logging, road construction and environmental degradation.
A file photo shows Misty Fjords National Monument, part of the Tongass National Forest in Alaska, on July 11, 2012.
A file photo shows Misty Fjords National Monument, part of the Tongass National Forest in Alaska, on July 11, 2012.
Jon Elswick/AP Photo
What People Are Saying
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said: "Once again, President Trump is removing absurd obstacles to common sense management of our natural resources by rescinding the overly restrictive roadless rule. This move opens a new era of consistency and sustainability for our nation's forests. It is abundantly clear that properly managing our forests preserves them from devastating fires and allows future generations of Americans to enjoy and reap the benefits of this great land."
Republican Alaska Representative Nick Begich wrote on X: "Alaska's forests are one of our state's greatest natural assets and the "Roadless Rule" has long stifled responsible forest management, blocked access to critical resources, and halted economic opportunity particularly in Alaska, where 92% of the Tongass National Forest was off-limits. The Roadless Rule was never about responsible conservation; it was about bureaucratic overreach that undermined the ability of local forest managers and communities to effectively manage their lands."
Alex Craven, forest campaign manager for environmental organization Sierra Club, said in a statement: "Once again, the Trump administration is ignoring the voices of millions of Americans to pursue a corporate giveaway for his billionaire buddies. Stripping our national forests of roadless rule protections will put close to 60 million acres of wildlands across the country on the chopping block."
What Happens Next
A formal notice rescinding the Roadless Rule is expected from the USDA in the coming weeks. Legal challenges and further policy debates over federal forest management are anticipated.
