Latest news with #NationalForestSystem
The Hill
03-07-2025
- Science
- The Hill
Thousands of US counties have increased their tree cover
Newly released data shows that 60 percent of counties throughout the U.S. have increased the number of trees in their area. Between 2000 and 2020, data found a mean increase of 8.15 percent tree cover across 1,836 counties, which experts say will help the country beat the heat and breathe cleaner air. The Midwest region saw the highest increase, but counties home to some of the most populated metro areas, like Brooklyn, N.Y., and Detroit, also saw small gains. Lea County, N.M., is one of the 25 largest counties in the U.S. by land area, and it experienced a 1,600 percent increase in forest canopy. Other places with a significant increase in forest canopy include Florida's Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties. Tree cover performs many functions in the environment and increases biodiversity in wooded areas. A new study also shows it may help detect volcano eruptions. With human development being a major cause of tree loss across the U.S., many states have committed to planting more trees to make up for it, including Wisconsin, Hawaii and Maryland. But it comes after the Trump administration announced plans last month to strip protections that prevent logging on nearly 59 million acres of National Forest System lands.
Newsweek
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
59 Million Acres of National Forests Opened Up for Logging
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. 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.
The Verge
24-06-2025
- Politics
- The Verge
The US is stripping its forests of decades-old protections
The Trump administration wants to open up tens of millions of acres of national forest to development. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced yesterday that it's rescinding a landmark rule that prevents road construction and timber harvesting in the last unfragmented stretches of national forest. The USDA says the move will boost timber production, while helping officials manage wildfire-prone lands. Conservation groups say this is simply an industry-led land grab that could level pristine forests and increase the risk of wildfire. 'Make no mistake: this administration will do whatever it takes to sell off the places where we hunt, fish, recreate, and partake in long-standing traditions,' Andy Moderow, senior policy director at Alaska Wilderness League, said in a press statement. 'Today's announcement is a clear attempt to sell off public land for industrial-scale clear-cut logging.' 'A clear attempt to sell off public land for industrial-scale clear-cut logging' In a move that's likely to face legal challenges, the USDA is tossing out the 'Roadless Rule' that Bill Clinton enacted back in 2001 and that Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins called 'overly restrictive' in a press release. It follows an executive order signed by President Trump in March to expand timber production. Getting rid of the roadless rule will remove protections from nearly 59 million acres of forest, or roughly 30 percent of National Forest System lands, according to the USDA. Some forests will be more affected than others. The rule impacts 92 percent of the Tongass National Forest in Alaska, the largest old growth forest still standing in the US. It's been one of the most contested areas since Trump first rolled back roadless rule protections there in 2020 before the Biden administration restored them a few years later. The USDA also claims that 28 million acres of the land previously protected under the roadless rule are 'at high or very high risk of wildfire.' But allowing new roads and logging there won't lessen wildfire risk — it'll do the opposite by raising the risk of forest mismanagement, environmental groups contend. 'When they say we will open [forests] up for responsible management. I almost laughed out loud when I saw that … It's the height of irresponsible management to open them up to roads and logging,' says Randi Spivak, public lands policy director at the Center for Biological Diversity. Wildfires are likely to start near roads, she explains — perhaps from a stray cigarette butt or campfire. Loggers also target mature trees that tend to be more resilient to fires rather than smaller saplings that are more likely to burn. 'It's also a very nuanced topic, and it's completely being exploited by the timber industry and the current administration,' Spivak tells The Verge. There's an old-school mentality to firefighting that the logging industry has advocated for historically to preserve areas where they harvest timber. The old strategy has been to suppress any kind of forest fire, which has inadvertently exacerbated blazes in certain forests by allowing dry vegetation to build up into loads of tinder. In parts of the western US, fires are a natural part of the landscape that clear out debris that might otherwise turn into fuel for larger infernos. The timber industry has also promoted the idea that thinning forests will lessen fire risk. 'Thin is just a euphemism for log, it sounds nicer, but there's no difference on the ground,' Spivak says. More modern fire-busting tactics emphasize making communities less likely to burn. Climate change has led to more widespread wildfires in the western US, but tackling that problem is another protective measure that the Trump administration has thrown by the wayside. Trees and plants naturally store carbon dioxide, keeping the greenhouse gas from heating our planet. Forests in the US sequester more than 800 million metric tons of carbon each year. But they can only keep doing that if they stay intact.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump administration to remove protections on 59 million acres of National Forest lands
The Trump administration will strip protections that prevent logging on nearly 59 million acres of National Forest System lands, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced Monday. Rollins made the announcement at a meeting of the Western Governors' Association in New Mexico. In a press release, the Trump administration described the current rule, which prevents road building logging and mining in large swaths of national forest, as 'overly restrictive.' 'Once again, President Trump is removing absurd obstacles to common sense management of our natural resources by rescinding the overly restrictive roadless rule,' Rollins said in statement. '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,' she added. The rule in question, known as the Roadless Rule, was first issued by the outgoing Clinton administration in 2001. The Clinton administration said at the time it was prohibiting cutting down these trees because doing so would have 'the greatest likelihood of altering and fragmenting landscapes, resulting in immediate, long-term loss of roadless area values and characteristics.' Areas currently protected by the Roadless Rule include 92 percent of the Tongass National Forest in Alaska, where eagles, bears, salmon can be found alongside vast Alaskan vistas. The rule also protects 60 percent of forest service land in Utah and 58 percent of forest service land in Montana. Conservation advocates blasted the announcement. 'Stripping our national forests of roadless rule protections will put close to 60 million acres of wildlands across the country on the chopping block. That means polluting our clean air and drinking water sources to pad the bottom lines of timber and mining companies,' said Alex Craven, the Sierra Club's forest campaign manager, in a written statement. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
24-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Trump administration to remove protections on 59 million acres of National Forest lands
The Trump administration will strip protections that prevent logging on nearly 59 million acres of National Forest System lands, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced on Monday. Rollins made the announcement at a meeting of the Western Governors' Association in New Mexico. In a press release, the Trump administration described the current rule, which prevents road building logging and mining in large swaths of national forest, as 'overly restrictive.' 'Once again, President Trump is removing absurd obstacles to common sense management of our natural resources by rescinding the overly restrictive roadless rule,' Rollins said in a written statement. '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,' she added. The rule in question, known as the Roadless Rule, was first issued by the outgoing Clinton administration in 2001. The Clinton administration said at the time it was prohibiting cutting down these trees because doing so would have 'the greatest likelihood of altering and fragmenting landscapes, resulting in immediate, long-term loss of roadless area values and characteristics.' Areas currently protected by the Roadless Rule include 92 percent of the Tongass National Forest in Alaska, where eagles, bears, salmon can be found alongside vast Alaskan vistas. The rule also protects 60 percent of forest service land in Utah and 58 percent of forest service land in Montana. Conservation advocates blasted the announcement. 'Stripping our national forests of roadless rule protections will put close to 60 million acres of wildlands across the country on the chopping block. That means polluting our clean air and drinking water sources to pad the bottom lines of timber and mining companies,' said Alex Craven, the Sierra Club's forest campaign manager, in a written statement.
