US Forest Service Could Open Millions of Roadless Acres to Logging

The U.S. Forest Service, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, announced plans to repeal the 2001 ‘Roadless Rule’ that protects 58.5 million acres of public lands from new road construction, mining, and logging. The move is part of the Trump administration’s initiative to “aggressively” encourage more timber production on public lands.

According to an article by Bobby Magill in Bloomberg Law, “The Clinton-era move was backed by environmentalists but vehemently opposed by the state officials who want logging jobs to be created in the forest.” Some opponents of the rule argue it makes it harder for firefighting crews to access areas when wildfires occur. An NPR article notes that “Environmentalists counter that wildfires are more likely to occur in forests that have been developed with roads and other infrastructure.”

The agency is required by law to undergo a public notice and comment process before formally repealing the rule.