USDA Plans Repeal of Roadless Rule Affecting 59 Million Acres

The Trump administration, through Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, announced plans to repeal the 2001 Roadless Rule, which has restricted logging, road-building, and mining on nearly 59 million acres of national forests, including large portions of Alaska's Tongass National Forest. This repeal aims to promote increased timber production, improve local forest management to reduce wildfire risks, and align with President Trump's agenda to remove what the administration calls 'absurd obstacles' to resource development. The policy reversal has drawn strong criticism from environmental groups and Alaska Native communities who warn it threatens wildlife habitats, drinking water sources, and subsistence lifestyles. This move revives a decades-long conflict, as the Roadless Rule was initially imposed under President Clinton, exempted under Trump's previous administration in 2020, reinstated under President Biden, and now targeted again for repeal. Supporters argue that lifting the rule will enable sustainable forest management and economic benefits, while opponents fear environmental degradation and loss of protections for roadless forest areas. The debate highlights contrasting views on forest conservation, wildfire management, and natural resource use in America's national forests.