USDA Nears Repeal of 2001 Roadless Rule, Putting 400,000 Virginia Acres at Risk
Updated
Updated · Virginia Mercury · Aug 20
USDA Nears Repeal of 2001 Roadless Rule, Putting 400,000 Virginia Acres at Risk
3 articles · Updated · Virginia Mercury · Aug 20
Summary
Sept. 21 is the final deadline for public comments on the USDA plan to scrap the 2001 Roadless Rule, after which the agency could move to repeal protections for millions of acres.
About 400,000 acres in Virginia—largely in the Shenandoah Valley—would be opened to development if the rule is revoked, with the Trump administration arguing the change would aid wildfire management and local economic activity.
Brooke Rollins said the proposal would return authority to local forest managers, but environmental groups say the existing rule already allows fire mitigation and warn more roads can increase fire risk.
SELC and Sen. Tim Kaine say the rollback could spur logging and damage watersheds, wildlife habitat and recreation lands, while pointing to Forest Service budget cuts as undercutting the administration's fire-prevention rationale.