Trump Administration's proposed recension of Roadless Rule could threaten protected lands with future development

The Trump Administration filed a proposed rule and draft environmental impact statement (EIS) in August to rescind the Roadless Rule that protects inventoried land without roads from further development, reports Ilana Newman for The Daily Yonder. Many in rural communities say the Roadless Rule protects their economy and way of life.

The ruling applies to 59 million acres of public land, spanning the Western U.S. and Alaska to New England and Appalachia. Established in 2001, the Roadless Rule protects lands without roads, but “there are plenty of primitive roads in what is known as inventoried roadless areas, or the land that is protected by the Roadless Rule,” Newman writes. “What the Roadless Rule does is prevent any additional development, road building, or logging in those areas.”

As of Aug. 18, the filing of the proposed rule opened a 30-day public comment period. Rescinding the ruling would allow local hands to better manage forests for wildfire risk, according to Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins. Rural commenters from Alaska, Appalachia, Montana, New Mexico and Washington disagree:

• Washington: Those touched by some of the state’s biggest wildfires think roads would add to risk. While roads are a critical firefighting tool, most wildfires are caused by humans — ignited adjacent to roads. Arguments for the rescission say roads allow for better forest management before and during fires, but locals say there isn’t enough evidence, especially with low-maintenance on current roads.
• New Mexico: In the mining town of Silver Springs, “even those who work in mining, [are] opposed to proposed new mines that overlap with inventoried roadless areas in the Gila National Forest.”
• Montana: Inventoried Kootenai National Forest in Montana is used as a conservation site for grizzly bears, with forests designated for growing bear foods such as salmonberries and thimbleberries. New roads in the area could threaten those efforts. 
• Alaska: In Alaska's Tongass National Forest — the largest in the U.S. — locals believe rescinding the Roadless Rule would allow for the return of a bygone logging era that would threaten the forest. 
• Appalachia: Rural communities in parts of the region rely on drinking water that comes from land protected by the Roadless Rule. Forested areas in the south are important to keep water treatment costs down.