The US Department of Agriculture filed a proposal on Tuesday to rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins submitted the proposal, which targets regulations that prohibit road construction and logging on national forest land.

Rollins stated the proposal aims to mitigate wildfire risk by returning authority to local forest managers. "For too long, outdated restrictions have kept tens of millions of forested acres off-limits to the very treatments that improve forest health and reduce wildfire risk to our communities," she said.

The USDA stated the proposal does not mandate timber cutting or road construction. A draft environmental impact statement was filed Tuesday in the Federal Register to accompany the regulatory change.

The rule affects about 59 million acres (24 million hectares), or 30 percent of national forest lands nationwide, according to the USDA. The agency also noted that the rule applies to approximately 45 million acres (18 million hectares) of national forest land.

"Our forests can’t afford another decade of inaction. Across the country, we’ve watched preventable conditions — overgrown stands, insect outbreaks and disease — turn healthy landscapes into tinderboxes," Rollins said. She added that it is time to turn the page on the failed roadless rule and return forests to health and productivity.

Chris Krupp, an attorney with WildEarth Guardians, opposed the move. "Americans across the political spectrum have made it clear they do not want political appointees removing protections from public lands," he said. Krupp added that it would be a gross misreading of public sentiment to take the roadless rule away from Americans and wildlife, and politicians do so at their jeopardy.

Fires are four times more likely to start near roads than in roadless forests, according to research from The Wilderness Society. A peer-reviewed study by the organization reported that from 1992 to 2024, wildfire ignition densities were lowest in designated wilderness areas, followed by roadless areas, and highest within 50 meters of roads.

About half of the roadless lands are within 1 mile (1.6km) of a road, according to the US Forest Service. Additionally, 31 percent of the roadless lands are within 0.5 miles (800 metres) of a road, according to the US Forest Service.

The public comment period for the proposed rule rescission ends on September 21. The US is experiencing one of its worst wildfire years in the last decade, with 7.3 million acres (3 million hectares) burned in about 49,000 fires through August 17, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

Why It Matters

The 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule was adopted in 2001 during the last days of Bill Clinton’s presidency. Bill Clinton signed the rule to safeguard undeveloped national forest land from commercial logging and mineral leasing, with a goal of keeping ecosystems pristine and protecting water supplies.

The Trump administration first announced its intention to rescind the rule during a meeting of Western governors in New Mexico last summer. Scientists say worsening wildfires are driven by a combination of climate change, less logging, and decades of fire suppression.

Timeline

Bill Clinton signed the rule to safeguard undeveloped national forest land from commercial logging and mineral leasing, with a goal of keeping ecosystems pristine and protecting water supplies on January 20, 2001. The rule was adopted in 2001 during the last days of Bill Clinton’s presidency on January 20, 2001. During the latter part of Trump’s first term, the federal government lifted restrictions on logging and road-building in the Tongass National Forest on January 20, 2020.

The Biden administration later reversed the Tongass National Forest logging and road-building exemptions on January 20, 2023. The Trump administration first announced its intention to rescind the rule during a meeting of Western governors in New Mexico last summer on August 1, 2025. Retired US Forest Service chiefs stated in an opinion piece that repealing the rule threatens key watersheds and wildlife on August 18, 2025. The US is experiencing one of its worst wildfire years in the last decade, with 7.3 million acres (3 million hectares) burned in about 49,000 fires through August 17, according to the National Interagency Fire Center on August 17, 2026.

What's New

Tom Schultz, the Forest Service chief, said active forest management is essential. Emma Powell, government affairs manager for the Alaska Wilderness League, described the Tongass National Forest as a home for salmon runs and abundant wildlife. Powell said cultures and livelihoods are connected to the Tongass National Forest.

California Natural Resources Secretary Crowfoot said the roadless rule has not hindered California’s forest management and prescribed fire efforts. The rule affects about 59 million acres (24 million hectares), or 30 percent of national forest lands nationwide, according to the USDA. Schultz stated that more than 40 percent of inventoried roadless areas, primarily in the west, have high or very high wildfire hazard potential. Crowfoot said more than 240,000 acres of roadless land in California have undergone vegetation treatments to reduce wildfire risk and protect nearby communities.

How Sources Differ

Regarding the acres the rule applies to, the US Department of Agriculture statement says the rule applies to approximately 45 million acres (18 million hectares) of national forest land, while US Forest Service data states the rule applies to more than 4 million acres of federally managed forest lands in California. Regarding the percent of forest lands, the US Department of Agriculture statement says the rule affects about 59 million acres (24 million hectares), or 30 percent of national forest lands nationwide, while US Forest Service data states 31 percent of the roadless lands are within 0.5 miles (800 metres) of a road. Regarding the rule acres and forest lands, the US Department of Agriculture statement says the rule affects about 59 million acres (24 million hectares), or 30 percent of national forest lands nationwide, while US Forest Service data states the rule applies to more than 4 million acres of federally managed forest lands in California. Regarding acres and hectares, the US Department of Agriculture statement says the rule affects about 59 million acres (24 million hectares), or 30 percent of national forest lands nationwide, while National Interagency Fire Center data states the US is experiencing one of its worst wildfire years in the last decade, with 7.3 million acres (3 million hectares) burned in about 49,000 fires through August 17. Regarding miles and forest service data, US Forest Service data states 31 percent of the roadless lands are within 0.5 miles (800 metres) of a road, while US Forest Service research states scientists mapped 26 years of fire ignitions along roughly 850 miles of roads in the Angeles, San Bernardino, Los Padres and Cleveland national forests. Regarding the rule and national forest land, the US Department of Agriculture statement says the rule applies to approximately 45 million acres (18 million hectares) of national forest land, while the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule source states the rule prohibits road construction and logging on national forest land. Regarding the rule and national forest land, the US Department of Agriculture statement says the rule applies to approximately 45 million acres (18 million hectares) of national forest land, while the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule source states Bill Clinton signed the rule to safeguard undeveloped national forest land from commercial logging and mineral leasing, with a goal of keeping ecosystems pristine and protecting water supplies.