USDA drops ‘roadless rule’ to ease restrictions on forests

DAILY Bites

• The USDA is rescinding the 2001 Roadless Rule, lifting restrictions on road construction and timber harvest across 59 million acres of national forest land.

• Officials say the change will improve wildfire prevention and forest health by allowing more local control and proactive management.

• The move is expected to boost rural economies, especially in states like Utah, Montana, and Alaska, where large portions of forest land were previously restricted.

DAILY Discussion

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced during a meeting of the Western Governors’ Association in New Mexico that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is rescinding the 2001 Roadless Rule.

This outdated administrative rule contradicts the will of Congress and goes against the mandate of the USDA Forest Service to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands, she said. Rescinding this rule will remove prohibitions on road construction, reconstruction, and timber harvest on nearly 59 million acres of the National Forest System, allowing for fire prevention and responsible timber production.

This rule is overly restrictive and poses real harm to millions of acres of our national forests. In total, 30 percent of National Forest System lands are impacted by this rule. For example, nearly 60 percent of forest service land in Utah is restricted from road development and is unable to be properly managed for fire risk. In Montana, it is 58 percent, and in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest, the largest in the country, 92 percent is impacted. This also hurts jobs and economic development across rural America. Utah alone estimates the roadless rule alone creates a 25 percent decrease in economic development in the forestry sector.

“Once again, President Trump is removing absurd obstacles to common sense management of our natural resources by rescinding the overly restrictive roadless rule,” said Secretary Brooke Rollins. “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.”

This action aligns with President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14192, Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation to get rid of overcomplicated, burdensome barriers that hamper American business and innovation. It will also allow more decisions to be made at the local level, helping land managers make the best decisions to protect people, communities, and resources based on their unique local conditions.

Of the 58.5 million acres of inventoried roadless areas covered under the 2001 Roadless Rule, 28 million acres are in areas at high or very high risk of wildfire. Rescinding this rule will allow this land to be managed at the local forest level, with more flexibility to take swift action to reduce wildfire risk and help protect surrounding communities and infrastructure.