Trump administration plans to rescind rule blocking logging on national forest lands

SANTA FE N M The Trump administration plans to rescind a nearly quarter-century-old rule that blocked logging on national forest lands Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins disclosed Monday The so-called roadless rule adopted in the last days of Bill Clinton s presidency in long has chafed Republican lawmakers especially in the West where national forests sprawl across vast mountainous terrain and the logging industry has waned The roadless rule impeded road construction and responsible timber production that would have helped reduce the pitfall of major wildfires Rollins commented at the annual meeting of the Western Governors Association This move opens a new era of consistency and sustainability for our nation s forests Rollins disclosed The rule has affected of national forest lands nationwide or about million acres million hectares according to the U S Department of Agriculture the agency over the Forest System State roadless-area rules in Idaho and Colorado supersede the boundaries of the roadless rule according to the USDA meaning not all national forest land would be affected by a rescission The announcement comes amid modern talk of selling off federal lands in part to improve housing affordability an idea criticized by Democrats as a general land grab Selling population lands drew a mixed reception from governors at the same meeting Several hundred protesters gathered outside the summit in Santa Fe chanting Not For Sale and drumming The roadless area change meanwhile marks a sharp turnaround from the Biden administration which far from opening up more areas to timber harvesting sought to do more to restrict logging and protect old-growth forests Environmental groups who want to keep restrictions on logging and road-building for places such as Alaska s Tongass National Forest criticized the possibility of rolling back the protections Any attempt to revoke it is an attack on the air and water we breathe and drink abundant recreational opportunities which millions of people enjoy each year havens for wildlife and critical buffers for communities threatened by increasingly severe wildfire seasons Josh Hicks conservation campaigns director at The Wilderness Society mentioned in a comment on the USDA s plans Contrary to what Rollins mentioned about reducing wildfire jeopardy logging exacerbates atmosphere change and makes wildfires more intense commented Center for Western Priorities political director Rachael Hamby This is nothing more than a massive giveaway to timber companies at the expense of every American and the forests that belong to all of us Hamby announced in a announcement In Alaska home to the country s largest national forest the Tongass the roadless rule has long been a focus of litigation with state political leaders supporting an exemption to the rule that they argue impedes economic opportunities During the latter part of President Donald Trump s first term the federal regime lifted restrictions on logging and road-building in the Tongass something the Biden administration later reversed Related Articles DPS schools that could close due to poor performance have high numbers of students of color details shows Colorado universities brace for plunge in international students due to fears sparked by Trump policies Man violently arrested by ICE in Denver courthouse bathroom as young child watched witness says How President Trump s shifting deportation push has played out in Colorado There s no small moves Lawmakers demand Denver company provide information about U S contracts Trump in January called for reverting to the protocol from his first term as part of an Alaska-specific executive order aimed at boosting oil and gas advance mining and logging in the state The Tongass is a temperate rainforest of glaciers and rugged coastal islands It provides habitat to wildlife such as bears wolves salmon and bald eagles Bohrer informed from Juneau Alaska Mead Gruver in Cheyenne Wyoming Matthew Daly in Washington D C and Matthew Brown in Helena Montana contributed to this overview