🌲Trump's Roadless Rollback Proposal Threatens 59M Acres
Could 58 million acres lose protections?
TL;DR
The Trump administration proposes rolling back the 2001 Roadless Rule, affecting nearly 59 million acres of national forest. Public comments overwhelmingly oppose this move.
The Trump administration is proposing a rollback of the 2001 Roadless Rule, which would remove prohibitions on road construction and logging in nearly 59 million acres of inventoried roadless areas within National Forests. This affects millions of acres across western states and Alaska, impacting forest health, wildlife conservation, and water quality. The rule's removal could exacerbate the US Forest Service’s road maintenance backlog and harm imperiled species like those found in Arizona's roadless areas.
Key Points
Roadless Rule covers over 58 million acres across the US excluding Idaho and Colorado
Proposed rollback would remove prohibitions on road construction and logging in inventoried areas
Public comment period starts once proposal is published in Federal Register, expected soon
Rollback could affect millions of acres in western states and Alaska, impacting wildlife habitats
Most inventoried roadless areas are in the western US and include large parts of southeast Alaska
Why It Matters
If the Roadless Rule rollback is formalized, it would impact millions of acres across the U.S., affecting forest health, wildlife conservation, and water quality. For example, Arizona's roadless areas contain habitat for up to 62 imperiled species. The public comments submitted overwhelmingly oppose rolling back these protections.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does this matter?
If the Roadless Rule rollback is formalized, it would impact millions of acres across the U.S., affecting forest health, wildlife conservation, and water quality. For example, Arizona's roadless areas contain habitat for up to 62 imperiled species. The public comments submitted overwhelmingly oppose rolling back these protections.
What happened?
The Trump administration proposes rolling back the 2001 Roadless Rule, affecting nearly 59 million acres of national forest. Public comments overwhelmingly oppose this move.
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