Trump Administration Files to Repeal 2001 Roadless Rule for 45 Million Acres
Updated
Updated · Oregon Capital Chronicle · Aug 18
Trump Administration Files to Repeal 2001 Roadless Rule for 45 Million Acres
3 articles · Updated · Oregon Capital Chronicle · Aug 18
Summary
Brooke Rollins filed a rule Tuesday to rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule in full, starting a process that would remove federal protections from nearly 45 million acres of national forest land.
The administration says the rollback will reduce wildfire risk by allowing more roadbuilding and forest treatments, but researchers and Forest Service data cited in the report say fires are more likely to start near roads and do not show repeal would improve forest health.
A draft environmental impact statement is due Wednesday, with public comments open until Sept. 21 before any final change; the earlier 2025 notice drew more than 600,000 comments, mostly opposing weaker protections.
Alaska would be hit hardest, with nearly one-third of the affected acreage including the Tongass, while Idaho and Colorado are exempt because they already operate under separate state-specific roadless agreements.
Earthjustice said it is likely to sue, underscoring a broader fight between conservation groups defending a 25-year-old rule and timber interests and Republican governors backing more local control and logging access.
Could opening millions of acres of protected forests actually increase wildfire risks instead of preventing them?
How might new industrial roads in untouched wilderness irreversibly alter the future of endangered wildlife corridors?
The Battle Over 58 Million Acres: The 2025–2026 Push to Repeal the Roadless Area Conservation Rule and Its National Impacts
Overview
The push to repeal the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule is advancing quickly through both administrative and legislative channels. After Secretary Rollins announced the rollback in June 2025, the USDA began the formal repeal process and later removed key NEPA regulations, making it easier to approve logging and road building. At the same time, Congress moved forward with bills to strip the rule and expand forest thinning. These changes would open millions of acres to new roads and logging, fragmenting vital habitats, increasing wildfire risks, and threatening clean water supplies and tribal rights. In response, lawmakers have introduced new legislation to permanently protect these lands.