The Trump administration is moving to rescind the roadless rule, a protection for undeveloped national forests enacted during the final days of Bill Clinton's presidency. The U.S. Forest Service is filing a proposal to overturn the 2001 rule, which has protected old growth forests for 25 years.
This move could potentially open nearly 45 million acres of untouched back country to logging, drilling, and road construction. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has described the existing rule as overly restrictive and an absurd obstacle to development.
The US Agriculture Department states that rescinding the rule will help reduce wildfire risk and return control to local managers. However, environmental groups oppose the decision, arguing that the move would do the opposite.