USDA Proposes Repealing 2001 Roadless Rule Across 45 Million Acres of National Forests

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Forest Service published a formal notice of proposed rulemaking on Tuesday to rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, initiating a monumental policy shift across 44.7 million acres of inventoried roadless federal forest lands.

Regulatory Scope and Administration Justifications

The 2001 rule, enacted under the Clinton administration, has prohibited commercial timber harvesting and road building across roughly 30 percent of National Forest System lands across 37 states for a quarter-century. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins stated that rescinding the rule will empower local forest supervisors to execute active forest management, including mechanical thinning, salvage logging, and biomass removal, to mitigate catastrophic wildfire risks.

The proposed rule affects vast tracts across the Western United States, including Idaho, Montana, Colorado, California, Oregon, and the Tongass National Forest in Alaska.

Environmental Opposition and Scientific Friction

A coalition of conservation groups, including the Sierra Club, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and Earthjustice, pledged immediate federal court litigation. Opponents argue that opening backcountry roadless forests will fragment critical grizzly bear, lynx, and salmon habitats, degrade municipal drinking water watersheds, and exacerbate human-caused wildfire ignitions along newly constructed access roads.

Critics also highlighted that the U.S. Forest Service already faces an estimated $8.6 billion maintenance backlog on its existing 370,000-mile forest road network.

Public Comment Period and Implementation Timeline

The Forest Service opened a mandatory 30-day public comment window through the Federal Register closing on September 21, 2026. Regional environmental impact statements will be required before individual commercial timber sales can proceed.