Trump administration moves to scrap national forest roadless rule

The Trump administration has formally initiated the process to repeal a 2001 regulation that restricted road construction, logging, and other development across roughly 59 million acres of national forest land. The U.S. Forest Service filed a proposal and draft environmental impact statement in the Federal Register on Tuesday, setting the stage for a public comment period that ends September 21.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins defended the move, arguing that the quarter-century-old rule, adopted in the final days of the Clinton presidency, was a one-size-fits-all constraint that prevented local land managers from addressing deteriorating forest conditions. "Our forests can't afford another decade of inaction," Rollins said in a statement, pointing to overgrown stands, insect outbreaks, and disease that have turned landscapes into fire-prone tinderboxes.

The original rule was designed to protect undeveloped forest areas from commercial logging and mineral leasing, preserving ecosystems and water supplies. The new proposal would restore decision-making authority to local forest supervisors, though officials say it does not mandate any specific timber cuts or road projects.

Environmental groups immediately condemned the plan. Chris Krupp, an attorney with WildEarth Guardians, said removing protections would ignore overwhelming public opposition. The Alaska Wilderness League raised particular concerns about the Tongass National Forest, the nation's largest, which has been a focal point of litigation. Emma Powell of the league called the Tongass a global treasure supporting salmon runs, wildlife, and local economies.

Sierra Club forest campaign manager Alex Craven disputed the administration's wildfire rationale, arguing that more roads could actually increase fire risk and that the rule never blocked targeted fuel-reduction work. He pledged that conservation groups would challenge the proposal at every stage.

The move follows the administration's earlier announcement of its intent to revisit the rule during a meeting of Western governors last summer.