US moves to scrap roadless rule protecting 59 million forest acres
US Forest Service proposes rescinding 2001 Roadless Rule, transferring authority to local managers; environmentalists warn of increased wildfire risk.
The Trump administration has formally proposed scrapping a 2001 regulation that shields nearly 59 million acres of undeveloped national forest from logging, road-building, and mining. The move, announced by the U.S. Forest Service, would hand decision-making power over these areas to local forest managers, a shift the Department of Agriculture says will improve forest health and reduce wildfire risk.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a statement that the current rule has created barriers that prevent local officials from carrying out necessary land management. "Today, we filed a proposal to restore authority to local forest managers who know the land best," she said.
The proposal comes as the United States experiences one of its worst wildfire seasons on record, with more than 7.3 million acres burned in roughly 49,000 fires through August 17, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
Environmental groups, however, argue that rescinding the rule would have the opposite effect. A 2025 analysis by the Wilderness Society found that wildfire density is lowest in protected wilderness areas and highest near roads. Josh Hicks, the group's director of conservation campaigns, said opening backcountry forests to more roads and development would increase the number of human-caused ignitions. "Opening our backcountry forests to more roads and development, and therefore more ignitions, is also not a wildfire solution, and never will be," he said.
The Roadless Area Conservation Rule, established in 2001, currently limits development on about 30% of the National Forest System. The Forest Service will accept public comments on the proposed rescission until September 21.