A longstanding federal policy protecting millions of acres of national forest land could soon be changing.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is proposing to repeal the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which has limited road construction and certain development activities on more than 44 million acres of national forest land for the past 25 years.
Federal officials say removing the rule would give local forest managers more flexibility to address growing concerns such as wildfires, insect infestations and forest disease. According to the U.S. Forest Service, more than 40 percent of inventoried roadless areas face high or very high wildfire risks, while only a small portion has received fuels reduction treatments in recent years.
The proposal would not automatically open roadless areas to new roads or logging. Any future projects would still go through local planning processes and be subject to environmental review and federal laws.
Supporters of the change say it could improve forest management and wildfire prevention efforts. Opponents argue the current rule helps protect wildlife habitat, watersheds and recreational areas by keeping large portions of national forests undeveloped.
More than 95 percent of the nation’s inventoried roadless areas are located in 10 western states and Alaska. Colorado and Idaho, which have their own state-specific roadless rules, would not be affected.
The Forest Service is accepting public comments on the proposal through September 21. If approved, the change would represent a major shift in the management of America’s national forests.
