Posted on 06/24/2025 4:05:56 AM PDT by george76
Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced during a meeting of the Western Governors’ Association in New Mexico, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is rescinding the 2001 Roadless Rule. This outdated administrative rule contradicts the will of Congress and goes against the mandate of the USDA Forest Service to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation's forests and grasslands. Rescinding this rule will remove prohibitions on road construction, reconstruction, and timber harvest on nearly 59 million acres of the National Forest System, allowing for fire prevention and responsible timber production.
This rule is overly restrictive and poses real harm to millions of acres of our national forests. In total, 30% of National Forest System lands are impacted by this rule. For example, nearly 60% of forest service land in Utah is restricted from road development and is unable to be properly managed for fire risk. In Montana, it is 58%, and in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest, the largest in the country, 92% is impacted. This also hurts jobs and economic development across rural America. Utah alone estimates the roadless rule alone creates a 25% decrease in economic development in the forestry sector.
"Once again, President Trump is removing absurd obstacles to common sense management of our natural resources by rescinding the overly restrictive roadless rule,” said Secretary Brooke Rollins. “This move opens a new era of consistency and sustainability for our nation’s forests. It is abundantly clear that properly managing our forests preserves them from devastating fires and allows future generations of Americans to enjoy and reap the benefits of this great land.”
This action aligns with President Trump’s Executive Order 14192, Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation to get rid of overcomplicated, burdensome barriers that hamper American business and innovation. It will also allow more decisions to be made at the local level, helping land managers make the best decisions to protect people, communities and resources based on their unique local conditions.
Of the 58.5 million acres of inventoried roadless areas covered under the 2001 Roadless Rule, 28 million acres are in areas at high or very high risk of wildfire. Rescinding this rule will allow this land to be managed at the local forest level, with more flexibility to take swift action to reduce wildfire risk and help protect surrounding communities and infrastructure.
IIRC, this was a political gift to the Sierra Club for their contribution to humanity. /s
Wildfires are being magnified & made much worse by bad environmental laws.. time to empower foresters / land managers to do their jobs. Not the eco-nut lawyers looking for big fees. .. started by Bill Clinton.
With proper Forest Management, smart logging, we can slow down the devastation.
I have always felt that where logging was allowed, there was better care of the forests. Roads have to be kept open & some old growth that was no good for lumber was perhaps cleaned out. Forest fires put lumbering activities out of business so I’d think they would naturally take better care of forests.
Fire breaks that double as roads.......and more towers....maybe use drones?
“Fire breaks that double as roads.......and more towers....maybe use drones?”
We use satellites.
true...but they can’t see through tree canopy...drones can weave in and out
Ordered by Clinton right before he left office. Responsible for serious wildfire damage over the years, building up the tinder and hindering firefighters.
“roads...and more towers...”
.
At least in Florida, towers aren’t being built anymore.
We used fire breaks during training at Bragg, and there were never major fires in the tall southern pines and scrub oaks
I am always irritated when purchasing lumber to see it is from Sweeden etc. America props up Swedish lumbermen but shuts down the mills in America. That is a poor policy.
LONG OVERDUE
BRUCE BABBITT SHOULD HAVE BEEN HUNG BY HIS TESTICLES
This was the gift from Robert McNamara after leaving the WH during the Vietnam war. He created the sierra club and its minions.
I think managing forests is the right thing to do, plus it could open parkland and create more lumber supply possibly making new homes less expensive.
Don’t sugarcoat it, tell us how you really feel!
That is ‘cause they sink into the goo that y’all call Florida.
Sure to be blocked by a judge by the end of the week.
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