Lost in the recent uproar over an attempt to sell federal public lands was an executive order by President Donald Trump to rescind the “Roadless Rule.”
What is the Roadless Rule?
The Roadless Rule was enacted by President Bill Clinton in 2001, just days before George W. Bush took office. The rule prohibits road building and commodity logging in 58 million acres of National Forest throughout the United States. This essentially turns large tracts of National Forest land into Wilderness Areas. Recreation, like hunting, fishing, and backpacking, is still allowed in Designated Roadless Areas.
What might happen?
Under direction from President Trump, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins officially announced that the United States Department of Agriculture would be rescinding the Roadless Rule.
According to a press release from the USDA, “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.”
The states most impacted would be Alaska, Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming, according to the Montana Free Press(MFP). Alaska’s inclusion is potentially problematic because 15 million acres of the Tongass National Forest, in the southeast part of the state, are roadless. There have been attempts in the past to remove its protections, but concerns about access to old-growth timber and tribal sovereignty have prevented it, per the MFP.
Would it help prevent wildfires?
One of the main points those in favor of rescinding the Roadless Rule make is that it would allow for timber harvest in areas that are prone to wildfires, potentially reducing wildfire risk.
Opponents, like the group Earthjustice, say that wildfires are more likely to start in forests that have roads and other infrastructure.
Would it impact fishing access?
It’s not clear what processes would be followed when building roads in areas previously designated as roadless. There’s no mention from the USDA of requiring Environmental Impact Statements, and no details have emerged about permitting for logging.
There is potential for impact to watershed quality and habitat fragmentation, which while it may not directly hamper fishing access, would diminish the quality of some fisheries.
Earthjustice has promised to file a lawsuit against the Trump administration for rescinding the Roadless Rule, although that hasn’t happened yet.
Alabama’s Mobile Bay Faces Imminent Threat from Dredge Project