The Trump administration is proposing to rescind the “roadless rule,” a 25-year-old policy that bars development like road construction and logging on nearly 45 million acres of national forest land, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday.
In a press release, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said the rule has led to overgrown and diseased forests ripe for deadly wildfires by limiting where the U.S. Forest Service can build roads and manage timber. Rescinding the roadless rule, the government said, will prioritize local decision-making over national-scale regulations.
“Today’s long overdue decision will empower states like Montana to pursue proper forest management on federal lands with local communities in mind,” Montana Governor Greg Gianforte said in the release.
In a letter published last fall, more than 30 leading forest science researchers from across the country refuted the administration’s claims. The ... Read more
