The Trump administration plans to end restrictions on road construction, logging and mining on almost 45 million acres of protected public land in an attempt to unburden private industry from environmental regulations. Conservationists say the move represents an existential threat to public lands and the many ways Americans interact with the natural world. But it’s welcome news to logging interests that stand to benefit.
In June, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the agency would eliminate the Roadless Rule, which has protected large swaths of National Forest System land across the country from roadbuilding and logging since 2001, calling the policy “outdated” and “overly restrictive.” The rule initially protected almost 60 million acres of land, but its scope was reduced to 44.7 million acres following the implementation of state-specific rules in Colorado and Idaho.
While the timber industry has hailed the move, environmental groups say it would harm ecosystems and increase fire risk. And they have called the move unsurprising given that Tom Schultz, Trump’s Forest Service chief, is a former timber industry lobbyist.
