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The Trump administration will move to repeal a landmark 2001 rule that restricted logging and road construction in national forests, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced Monday, signaling a dramatic reversal in U.S. forest and environmental policy.
Rollins, speaking at the Western Governors Association annual meeting, said rescinding the so-called “roadless rule”would promote forest health, reduce wildfire risk, and “restore consistency and sustainability” to the nation’s forest management approach.
“This move opens a new era of consistency and sustainability for our nation’s forests,” Rollins said, calling the current restrictions “outdated” and “harmful to responsible timber production.”
The roadless rule, enacted in the final days of President Bill Clinton’s administration in 2001, placed strict limits on road-building and logging on 59 million acres of national forest land — approximately 30% of all U.S. national forest acreage. It has been a target of Republican lawmakers and logging industry advocates for over two decades, especially in Western states.
A Political and Environmental Flashpoint
The rollback marks a significant departure from the Biden administration, which had reinstated roadless protections in places like Alaska’s Tongass National Forest — the largest national forest in the U.S. — after Trump-era policies briefly opened it up to logging and road construction.
Environmental groups swiftly condemned the new Trump plan, warning it could lead to widespread deforestation and worsen the effects of climate change.
“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,” said Rachael Hamby of the Center for Western Priorities.
Josh Hicks of The Wilderness Society called the plan an attack on wildlife habitats, clean water, and the health of public lands.
“Any attempt to revoke the roadless rule is an attack on the air and water we breathe and drink, abundant recreational opportunities, and havens for wildlife,” Hicks said.
Wildfires, Climate Change, and Logging
Rollins framed the move as a step toward wildfire prevention, arguing that limitations on timber harvest have contributed to dangerous fuel buildups. However, scientists and environmental groups say that while thinning forests may help in some cases, climate change, prolonged drought, and decades of fire suppression are the primary drivers of today’s increasingly severe wildfires.
“Logging, particularly of old-growth forests, contributes to climate change and can actually make fires more intense,” said Hamby.
A Controversial Public Land Agenda
The rollback announcement comes amid broader Trump administration efforts to expand industrial activity on public lands. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told governors the administration was ushering in an “era of abundance” in energy, mining, and timber extraction.
The possibility of selling off federal lands — floated by some officials to boost housing development — also loomed over the governors’ meeting, drawing protests outside the Santa Fe venue.
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in the streets with signs reading “This land belongs to you and me” and “Keep our public land free for future generations.”
Alaska, the Tongass, and Legal Battles
Nowhere has the roadless rule been more contentious than Alaska, where Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a Trump ally, praised the administration’s move.
“Another example of President Trump fulfilling his campaign promise to open up resources for responsible development,” Dunleavy wrote on social media.
The Tongass National Forest, a sprawling temperate rainforest home to bears, bald eagles, and salmon runs, has seen years of litigation and policy swings. The Trump administration lifted protections there in 2020, which the Biden administration reversed in 2023. Trump has since called for returning to his previous policy in a recent Alaska-specific executive order that promotes mining, oil and gas extraction, and logging.
What’s Next?
The USDA said Monday’s announcement is only the beginning of the rescission process, with a formal notice to follow in the coming weeks. Public comment and environmental review will be required before any final action is taken.
Still, with President Trump openly campaigning for re-election on promises to expand natural resource development, environmentalists fear a broad rollback of federal land protections is underway.
As the nation braces for another dangerous wildfire season, the debate over the future of U.S. forests — and who they belong to — is once again at the center of the political and environmental landscape.
